Eternal Flame - Book 6

by Chrissy Peebles

  “You could have told us about this mark activation before we left,” Charles said, “but you waited and only told us now, when we’re far away from home and isolated, surrounded by your men. You didn’t want to give us time to ponder it or consider our options. That concerns me greatly, Jackson.”

  “We must activate Sarah’s mark while the stars are perfectly aligned. We won’t have another chance like this for a very, very long time. Like I said before, from what I’ve gathered from Victor, Ethano had no idea about the power of the mark. He knows it is some sort of tattoo that contains enough energy to break your bond, but he was unaware of the power he accidentally bestowed on Queen Sarah. Ethano’s mother was a witch and took her book of magic when she escaped into your world.”

  “Ethano must’ve studied the book and picked up a few tricks,” I said. “He was able to empower his men, even though Liz and I were powerless in his castle. I knew he could drain immortals of their power, and I assumed that was his special gift, but I know now that is not the case. He carries blue-ringed immortal blood from his mother, and that is why we are powerless against him at times.” I pondered. “But there were times I was able to fight against him. I made him drop a sword once in a fight when he was trying to capture me.”

  Jackson nodded. “I see. Well, he wasn’t a full blooded blue ring immortal. So your powers weren’t paralyzed immediately like with us.”

  “But he was able to do it in his castle,” I said.

  “And he was wearing a blue ring that night,” Liz chimed in. “I remember because it was so pretty and I’d never seen anyone with anything like that, so it stuck out in my mind. I’d forgotten about it until now.”

  “So it only worked when he was wearing his blue ring his mother must’ve given him?”

  “Yep. The ring must not be permanently on his finger like with us.”

  “We can take ours off,” Jackson said.

  “We can’t,” I responded.

  “Back to the spell book,” Charles said. “How dangerous is it?”

  “Very,” Jackson said.

  “This little nightmare is just getting good,” Liz said. “Please tell us more about this magic book.”

  “There is a spell in the book that Ethano probably used to give his chosen men powers,” he said, “but there are more spells buried beneath others. Only someone with the right knowledge will ever find them. I bet he doesn’t even know they’re there.”

  “If he received the book after his mother’s death, he likely never learned how to properly use it,” Victor added. “She likely taught him some but not all before her death.”

  Jackson nodded. “If he knew the book well, he never would have given Sarah the Mark of Lanera. He has no idea of the deep power it harbors. He only wanted to break your bond. Only a few can give someone the mark, and even if he doesn’t understand the ramifications of it, Ethano is one of them.”

  “I don’t know who is worse, Ethano or that doctor,” I said.

  “It’s a tossup,” Jackson said. “The doctor is definitely a psychopath. He wants you because you carry the perfect immortal DNA they’re looking for. You are a goldmine to the immortals.”

  “What good is my DNA to them?” I asked, confused.

  “About one-third of our race is slowly dying from a virus, the white death Bargarian bug. We don’t know what caused it, and there’s no cure at this time. Simply put, we are not as immortal as our name would suggest.”

  “Our race can die, too, even if it isn’t so easy,” Liz said. “Immortality isn’t foolproof.”

  “So the good doctor is infected with this...bug?” I asked.

  Jackson nodded. “Yes. He is desperate to find a cure. His powers are weakening, but he still has physical strength. Do not underestimate him in a fight.”

  “If the blue-ringed immortals die from this virus,” Charles said, “it will mean less human fatalities.”

  Liz nudged him. “We can’t think that way, honey. Everyone deserves a shot at life, and not all of the blue-ringed immortals are bad.”

  “They take innocent lives,” Charles argued. “They feed on people, without thinking twice about it. You were on that mountain, and you saw those poor souls we rescued from those pods. Kidnapping people and using them for food is unacceptable.”

  “We have no other option,” Jackson said. “If we don’t eat, we die. We only have two choices, find a cure or continue to feed on humans. There is currently not enough medicine to go around to keep us from feeding on mere mortals. It’s made from a rare plant that’s impossible to find. We’ll run out in less than six months.”

  “Then what?” Liz asked.

  “Then I will have to feed too.”

  She blew out a long breath.

  “It’s not my choice,” he said. “It’s who I am.”

  “This is revolting!” Charles yelled in disgust.

  “Perhaps, but we were born this way. We are not as fortunate as you, the perfect immortals. That is why they are so desperate to study you. You might think us monsters, but it is only survival of the fittest.” He paused, then looked at us. “However, I know a way to fix it all.”

  “Tell us of this plan of yours,” Victor said, still sounding doubtful.

  “We must retrieve the Box of Shadain. It’s a black box measuring roughly two feet by two feet. According to the ancient texts, when the box is open, an explosive energy will be released and will cure every immortal on the planet.”

  Liz lifted a brow. “Cure them? How? Sarah mentioned it briefly but I would like to know more.”

  “Anyone who is sick with the virus will be cured. And not only that, it will cure immortals and keep them from having to feed to survive.”

  “If this is the cure, why haven’t you opened the box before?” Victor asked, raising a brow.

  “Yeah,” Liz said. “That seems like a no-brainer.”

  “Because we could never get to the box without an immortal who wore the Mark of Lanera.” He stared at me hard. “You came here for answers, Sarah, but you are the answer we seek, standing before our very eyes.”

  “If the blue-ringed immortals were so desperate for this cure, they would have found someone else with the mark,” I said. “What is it that you’re not telling us, Jackson?”

  He swallowed hard.

  “Spill it,” Liz coaxed.

  “We will be cured from the mysterious virus and be able to live without having to suck the life force from humans. The healing energy is amazing, but there is a downfall.”

  “There always is,” Liz said. “And Sarah already told me what it was. But I want to hear it from you personally.”

  “The blue-ringed immortals will remain immortal, but they will lose their powers forever.”

  “Will we lose our powers too?” Liz asked nervously. “Because we’ve been wondering about that.”

  “The energy sucks the power from any immortal source once it’s activated,” he said, “and there’s no escaping that for those unmarked. But to get the box activated, we need a huge group of blue ring immortals so the artifact gets an initial surge of energy. Once it gets going, it will drain power from every immortal around the world.”

  “Unmarked?” Charles asked. “So only Sarah will get to keep her powers?”

  “I plan to mark everyone in this room,” Jackson said with a confident smile. “But it’s not the Mark of Lanera. Only Sarah wears that. It’s another mark, a different one I found when I studied the ancient texts. It will keep all of us from losing our powers when the box is eventually opened. And that’s why we’re here tonight.”

  “So if we get marked tonight, we’ll get to keep our powers, but the others will lose theirs when we open the box?” Liz asked.

  Jackson nodded. “Yes.”

  “Loss of their powers is not a bad price to pay for your world to be in peace and to be freed from your obligation to live as predators,” Victor said.

  “If they were powerless, we could easily take over our blue-ringed l
eaders and shift the power back to the people. We wouldn’t hurt humans, and we could live in peace with them. And those blue ring immortals, as you call them, who suffer from the virus will get a second chance at life. They are most desperate to find the box. Lots of them and their family members have signed up with the rebellion. Some, though, like the doctor who captured you, refuse to accept help from the power of the box and want nothing to do with it. For them, losing their powers would be too devastating, so they hunt for other ways to be healed from the virus.”

  “Where is this mysterious box?” I asked.

  “When we do this marking ceremony, an ancient map will be shown to us. We will then be able to pinpoint exactly where the Box of Shadain and the Key of Life are being hidden.”

  “Key?”

  “The Key of Life is in a separate location. We need both artifacts because we can’t open the box without the key.”

  “Of course,” I said with a sarcastic tone. Nothing seemed easy.

  “Please tell me what we exactly need,” Charles breathed out. “And please don’t leave anything out.”

  “It’s simple,” Jackson said. “Tonight, we’ll be shown a map revealing where two ancient artifacts are located. We’ll need Sarah to retrieve these two items, the key and the box, and then for her to open the ancient box since she wears the Mark of Lanera. We’ll have to do it at a huge cocktail party because that will be the energy we need to activate the power of the box. We all will be marked tonight in a different way from Sarah, and won’t lose our powers when the box is eventually opened. But all the other immortals will lose their powers. And that’s when we will step in and take our world back.”

  “And how, exactly, do you activate this mark on me, the Mark of Lanera?” I asked. “So I can get your map and mark everyone so they don’t lose their powers at the lovely box opening?”

  “My witches must perform a ceremony,” he said.

  My mouth dropped. “No more ceremonies!”

  “This one won’t require your death, Sarah. I can assure you of that. You will be our hero, and we mean you no harm.”

  Liz turned to face me. “You can handle a little ceremony, as long as there are no daggers involved.”

  Jackson bit his lip, and the look on his face sent shudders rippling up and down my spine.

  “There is more,” Charles said, staring at him doubtfully. “You must tell us everything, Jackson.”

  “Sarah must be...punctured with an ancient dagger.”

  My eyes widened in horror. “You’re going to stab me?”

  Jackson blinked. “Yes. Directly in the heart.”

  Chapter 11

  Without a word, Victor lunged for Jackson like a starving lion on a helpless antelope. “You’ll do no such thing!”

  Instantly, four burly guys, Jackson’s security team, grabbed his arms to hold him back.

  Victor threw them across the room without blinking an eye, then turned his rage on Jackson again.

  “Please hear me out!” Jackson shouted.

  Victor glared at him. “I am not interested in anymore of your lies!”

  “Why did you hide that from me? Why weren’t you honest with me before you brought me here?” I asked, gazing at Jackson in disbelief.

  “I feared the truth might scare you away.”

  My eyes widened. “It would’ve!”

  “No one is stabbing my sister,” Liz said. She then looked at me. “Honestly, you guys should’ve ironed out all these little details before promising anything.”

  “All I could think about was living for Alexander’s sake. And I would’ve said yes no matter what the deal was. If I didn’t, I would be dead right now.”

  “Jackson is cocky and selfish,” Charles said. “He doesn’t care who he hurts, as long as he gets what he wants.”

  “Listen, people, Sarah won’t die,” Jackson said. “She’s immortal, remember? How do you think she survived a shot to the heart before?”

  I placed my hands on my hips. “How do you even know about that? We have never discussed it.”

  “I have visions, Sarah,” he said. “I saw King William’s knights shoot you through the heart.”

  “That’s it. This little shindig is over. We’re leaving!” Liz announced in a dramatic tone.

  “Yes, Jackson, we are done here,” Victor said sharply, valiantly suppressing the urge to pummel him. “Did you really think I’d just stand by and watch you stab my wife, the mother of my child?”

  Jackson met his glare straight on. “Let me finish.”

  “What more could you possibly have to tell us?” Liz asked sarcastically. “Do you have to poke her eyes out too? Maybe remove three of her fingers so you can shove them up your ancient—”

  “Liz!” I scolded, stopping her.

  “As I said, when the box is opened, every immortal will lose their powers,” Jackson repeated.

  “But not us?” Charles asked.

  Jackson turned to face him. “If Sarah cooperates, then no, not us.”

  Liz threw her arms in the air. “I didn’t sign up for this! My powers are the only cool thing about being immortal.”

  “We need our powers to defeat Ethano,” Victor said. “We will not give them up.”

  Jackson nodded. “Of course. I understand. We don’t want to lose ours either.”

  “Count us out,” Liz said.

  “Why? When there’s a way to spare our powers?” Jackson said. “Not to mention, we need this ceremony desperately so we can get our hands on that map.”

  “Oh my gosh!” Liz said. “Could you spare us the melodrama and just please tell us everything at once?”

  “By activating Sarah’s mark in the ceremony, we will also be marked and will not lose our powers when the Box of Shadain is opened. It will also ensure her protection when she opens the box, because any other immortal opening the box would be turned into dust.”

  “Let me think about it,” I said.

  “The ceremony must be done tonight, when the stars are aligned properly. We won’t have another chance for a very long time. I’m talking about a decade or more.”

  “Do you enjoy toying with my wife this way, you scandalous fiend?” Victor asked. “We have no interest in your magic ceremonies and ancient rituals. We thought all we had to do was help you retrieve an artifact and our end of the agreement would be fulfilled.”

  “This is part of our agreement. It’s why I so relentlessly hunted for a cure for Sarah. I helped you, and now you must help me. You owe me a great debt, as you admitted yourselves, and you must pay it tonight. Then Sarah must help me retrieve the key and box, and then open it. I assure you that we are very close to finishing all of this. Let’s get this ceremony started so we can get ourselves marked, receive more power, and find the location of the relics.”

  Victor looked at Liz, Charles, and me. “No. We will be no part of this. Stabbing Sarah in the heart was not disclosed to us.”

  “But it will double your powers,” he said, “better equipping you to conquer Ethano. While we’re hunting for the relics, the blue-ringed immortals will no longer be able to drain you of your powers. You will be stronger than them after the ceremony, so you can protect your loved ones more efficiently.”

  “If you’re telling the truth,” Charles said.

  “If I wanted to murder Sarah, I would’ve kidnapped her behind your backs,” he said.

  “He has a point,” I said, gripping Victor’s hand. “I can handle being pierced through the heart. I survived once, and I will survive again. I’m a big girl, and I can take one for the team, especially if it means saving all humanity from ever being preyed on again.”

  “Jackson,” a voice called, “the rebels are here for the ceremony.”

  “Let them in,” he said.

  I immediately recognized the immortal from the island. He nodded and I said hello.

  “So this is what you had in mind when you hinted the rebellion wouldn’t lose their powers.”

  “Yes. And ne
ither will you or your friends if you cooperate.”

  I nodded. “I guess it’s a win-win for everyone.”

  “I must speak to my wife privately,” Victor said.

  “Very well. I will take you to a private room,” Jackson said.

  Victor shook his head. “No need. I will speak to her alone right here.”

  I looked deeply into my husband’s eyes and was instantly transported into an empty temple, devoid of Jackson or anybody else.

  “Do you trust Jackson?” Victor asked.

  “White Coyote said he is on our side,” I said.

  “He could be on Jackson’s payroll.”

  “Somehow, I don’t think the chief can be bought.”

  Victor softly cupped my face. “I cannot bear to watch them hurt you.”

  “Baby, if this can save lives, I have to do it. And it’ll also fix their hunger problem. They won’t have to use humans to feed on. How can I leave this world behind knowing the blue-ringed immortals are preying on humans? They’re probably the vampires our ancestors wrote about in ancient times. They’ve taken people and devoured them for centuries, and I can stop it.”

  “We will still have to find the key and box once the location is shown to us. This is the first step on a long journey that I am not sure we should take.”

  “We’ll just take one step at a time, but just think of the power it will grant us. We will be able to catch Ethano off guard and knock his ass out of power. This ceremony will make us stronger.”

  “But at what cost? I cannot fathom standing idly by while anyone hurts a hair on your pretty head.”

  “It is a big price to pay, but I will heal in only a few hours. We both know that.” I cupped his face and kissed his lips. “We’ve got to do this. Then we’ll get the box, and everyone will be cured. We will save all those dying immortals, humans won’t be prey anymore, and Jackson can overtake the tyrants. We’ll be stronger than ever, and we can change the prophecy. Instead of dying, we will conquer in victory.”

  I melted at his piercing gaze as we stared longingly into each other’s eyes. It was as if I could see the whole universe in those alluring blue pools. At that moment, the door opened to a deeper level of intimacy. I exposed myself, inside and out, and opened up on all levels as I let my mind connect with his. Victor was the only one in the world who had ever accepted me completely, flaws and all. He loved every dark corner of me, understood all my fears, and made me feel safe and secure, no matter the circumstances. I knew our love story wasn’t a simple boy-meets-girl story. Our happily-ever-after took work, but we would continue to grow and bond through all those moments of anguish and conflict. I was confident that love could conquer all, and I would never give up on the bright future I knew we would someday have.