“Fool,” he spat. “What is left? Your friends are dying as we speak. Mikael is gone. Your parents are gone. Your precious siblings. Your beast’s life hangs on by a thread. He only lives by sheer will to keep you alive. What? Did you not think we knew about him?”
My skin glowed brighter than the North Star. In one form or another, Carlo had been responsible for taking everything from me. A normal life. High school. College. A vanilla existence with a husband and two point five kids and a dog. My parents. Livie. Jude.
Mikael.
My chest heaved. All the hate, rage, and sorrow burst forward. I flung myself at Carlo and with me, every ounce of power I could summon. His shield repelled the first attack and the second.
The bastard laughed at me.
“You have an audience, Jasper. Will you show them the depths of your depravity and cruelty? Will you show them that their precious savior is nothing more than a monster?”
I glanced up and saw my assassins making their way to the beach. I wanted to collapse with relief as I estimated our numbers as whole.
“Mikael,” cried out Jordan. He ran toward our best friend’s body and fell to his knees. “I’ll kill him,” he ground out. “I’ll destroy him.”
“No. You help him,” I said.
He shouted for Nicholas and demanded that he heal Mikael.
“There’s nothing I can do,” I heard Nicholas say.
“I don’t care if you hurt yourself. Try something. Anything. Fix him,” Jordan demanded, his voice breaking.
Beneath me, Carlo laughed again. He’d freed his right hand from my manipulations. The ritual knife gleamed in the night sky as he brought it down and into his own chest.
“Azathoth, take me as your offering. Release Isruz and his cohorts,” he yelled. “Unleash your chaos.”
“Gods, no,” I moaned. I yanked the knife from his chest and put pressure on the wound.
“Didn’t work out the way you want, did it?” he chuckled, blood frothing from his mouth.
Blood seeped through his clothes and coated my hands as I pressed as hard as I could and shouted for Nicholas. “It’s not supposed to happen this way. Gods dammit, live!”
“You’ve lost. My sacrifice will tear open the heavens and hell and release turmoil like you can’t imagine. God and the Devil will have no choice but to return. I’ve won, child. I leave this world in peace.”
I stared in horror as Carlos coughed out blood, shuddered, and fell still.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
CARLO’S DEATH WAS ANNOUNCED to the world with an explosion in the middle of the ocean. Heaven met the sea and a great waterspout shot into the air. It whirled and whipped in a wind of its own making. Back and forth it swung for several long seconds before turning its destructive force to the shore.
“Oh, shit,” someone said from behind me.
Oh, shit, indeed.
Without thinking, I ran down the shore and into the water. I threw my hands out as if I could propel it back out into the vast ocean, reaching again for every sliver of power I had available. I dug deeper and found my connection to Jordan and borrowed from his power. Nothing I threw at it stopped the impending doom. Yet again, I was standing against the impossible. Me, the most powerful person in the Order, unable to prevent this ultimate destruction.
I remembered Ashor’s words and regretted my choice as if I ever had one. The whirlwind lashed at me as it grew closer to land. I didn’t know how I stayed on my feet with the constant hammering by the waves, but I was an immovable force. Silently apologizing to Jordan, I let go of all my power, waded deeper into the ocean and waited for the maelstrom to take me.
And waited.
And waited some more.
The spiraling column moved onto shore and right over me, or more accurately, into me. Wind whipped my clothes and hair in every direction. The water at my feet was sucked into the spout. Fish and sea creatures, without their natural habitat, flopped on the exposed ocean floor. Then the wall of water and wind hit me again, and I was thrown backward onto the sand. The maelstrom compacted upon itself, reaching no more than seven feet in diameter.
It settled over Mikael’s body.
A wall of sand surrounded him. It was too thick and violent to penetrate with any of my abilities, no matter how hard I tried. I crawled across the sand blindly, my mouth and eyes closed and covered to keep out the detritus. A hand grabbed me and pulled me close.
Jordan.
He shielded me with his body as we attempted to break through the wall. I didn’t care if Mikael was dead. His body would be treated with the utmost respect and care, and I would be the one to do it. The sandstorm or whatever the hell this was wouldn’t take him from me.
And just as abruptly as it appeared, the storm dissipated. The winds died down, the rain disappeared, and within mere seconds, it was a beautiful, starry night.
Jordan took my face in his hands. “Are you okay?”
“Mikael,” I said weakly.
“Jasper, dammit, answer me. Are you okay?”
I wasn’t even close to being okay. Sand and saltwater had gotten into my open wounds. I didn’t think I could stand on my bad ankle, and all the strength in my body had fled. “I’ll survive,” I croaked. “You?”
“Same,” he said and pulled me into a tight hug.
“I’m so sorry I couldn’t save him,” I said, closing my eyes, and leaned into him. The pain of losing Mikael was a million times worse than all of my worst injuries combined.
“Shh,” said Jordan. He stroked my hair and rocked me. “It will be okay. Everything will be fine.”
“How can you say that? He’s gone. Carlo sacrificed himself. We lost, Jordy. After everything we’ve been through, we lost.”
“Everything’s going to be okay,” he repeated. “We’ll get through this. I promise you.”
“Liar,” I said, the sobs breaking through. Shuddering, I buried my face in his chest and cried for everything we’d lost. In the past three years, our worlds had been upended. The life I knew had been destroyed. The people Jordan admired and respected not only betrayed the cause to which he was so committed but him personally. People died. Children were slaughtered. Our home had been invaded and the peace of sanctuary ruined. And Mikael.
Oh, Mikael.
The kindest, most selfless man I’d ever met had sacrificed himself, so I could live.
How long had he known his fate? Had he walked into tonight knowing it was his last night on Earth? Gods, his bravery floored me.
Jordan’s body shook with unshed tears as we rocked back and forth, oblivious to the assassins flooding the beach. I couldn’t look at them, not after I’d failed so spectacularly. I didn’t have the wherewithal to tell them the battle had been lost, that chaos was coming for us. I cringed and, like a coward, shut my eyes. Jordan shrugged off his jacket and draped it over me, shielding me from the many sets of prying eyes.
“She’ll be fine,” he barked . “I want a status report in ten minutes. Go.”
Voss gave him a quick salute and bounded back toward our waiting cohort, leaving us alone in our misery.
When I had no tears left, I swiped my stinging cheeks and rubbed my nose, too tired to do more than that. “What do I do?”
“Nothing. Let others handle the cleanup. When you’re ready, I’ll carry you to a van.”
“And Mikael?”
“I’ll take care of him myself.”
“And you?”
He exhaled and kissed the top of my head. “I’ll do what needs to be done and worry about the rest later. Close your eyes for a few. I’m not going anywhere.”
My body screamed in agony, and I doubted I could walk on my own. It was selfish, yes, but I wasn’t ready to let go of him and face reality. So I ignored everything happening around us and focused on his steady heartbeat to center myself.
Gathering my what was left of my willpower, I sniffled and opened my eyes. “We have to call the Circle and tell them what happened. Dakarai will know w
hat to do.”
“A couple of hours won’t make a difference. Once we deal with everything here, Jones will check you out. We’ll shower and go to bed. We can deal with the rest in the morning.”
A thought struck me, and I was consumed with guilt. “Is Nicholas okay?”
Jordan swallowed hard and looked toward Mikael’s body. He jolted. “Holy shit. Jas, look,” he breathed.
Nicholas lay next to Mikael, his glowing hand resting on Mikael’s stomach, unconscious. I pulled out of Jordan’s embrace and crawled closer.. Nicholas jerked up and grabbed his chest. Both he and Mikael gasped for air.
“Oh, God,” he croaked. “What happened?”
“Nick?” I asked. “You’re okay?”
He crawled over and threw his arms around my neck. “We did it. We stopped them.”
I shuddered and pulled back. “No, honey,” I said with all the gentleness I could muster. “We didn’t.”
Nicholas grabbed me by the arms and shook hard. “What the hell are you talking about? Carlo is dead. We’re all alive. Hell, Mikael is breathing. How isn’t this a win?”
First things first.
Jordan scrambled around us and knelt at Mikael’s side. He examined Mikael’s torso, wiping away the blood that coated his skin. Grinning fiercely, he met my startled gaze.
“He’s breathing. He’s fine. God, he’s alive.”
I burst into tears and threw my arms around Mikael as he struggled into a sitting position. “You idiot,” I sobbed. “Don’t ever do that again.”
“I do not understand,” he said in Russian. He patted my knee and eased back. “This was not supposed to happen. This is not what I saw.”
Nick grinned. “Don’t question it. You’re alive. That’s all that matters.”
Jordan and I exchanged uneasy looks. They hadn’t been conscious for the last few minutes of the exchange with Carlo.
Mikael met my eyes. “He won.”
“Yes.”
“Problem for another day,” said Jordan with enough bluster that I believed him. “Nicholas is right. Once Jones convinces me that you don’t need a hospital, we’ll get you into a warm bed.”
“Vodka. Don’t forget the vodka,” said Mikael. “I have a feeling I will need it to hear what happened tonight.”
He hugged me with one arm and frowned. “You are hurt. Why have you not been treated?” He scowled at Jordan. “Why is she here?”
Jordan chuckled. “You never stop worrying about other people. Take a deep breath. We’ve got everything covered. Trust me.”
“Yeah,” I piped up. “Relax already. We’ve got this.”
✽ ✽ ✽
I sat on the beach, staring at the waves, as my team moved around me. Jordan checked on me one last time before picking up and carrying Mikael to a vehicle. He was taking him to the nearest hospital and promised to call me as soon as he had news. Mikael was okay, what with Nicholas bringing him back to life and all, but we wanted to confirm there was no internal damage.
Someone, Esai, I thought, gathered driftwood and created a pyre for Carlo’s body. Like me, he didn’t want to risk a stray trying to resurrect the madman or use his body as a host for something worse.
“Let me look at you,” said Nicholas as he sat next to me. One assassin must have given him their jacket. The robe and the sliced shirt were gone, and he was buttoned up against the chilly night air. “You took a beating. Again.”
I smiled and hugged him. “Thank you.”
“For what?” he asked. “I haven’t done anything yet.”
“You saved lives tonight. Someone should thank you. How are you holding up?”
“Nothing a few dozen beers won’t cure,” he said with a shrug. “I’ll live. Cripes, what did they do to you?”
I held still as Nicholas dusted the sand out of my wounds the best he could and healed them. “I’m sorry we didn’t get to you sooner.”
“It wouldn’t have made a difference. I told you to wait for a reason. Now we know what he was planning to do and we know we ruined it. It’s over.”
He didn’t know I failed. I didn’t have the heart to tell him it was far from over.
“What are you going to do now?”
“Sleep in my own bed.” He shuddered. “Maybe. I don’t want to be alone.”
“Neither do I. Want to keep me company while we clean this mess up?”
“Are you going to see Mikael?”
“Not tonight. Jordan knows better than anyone how to handle tough questions from the police. It’s better that I don’t show up looking the way I do. He’ll call and let me know what’s happening.”
Nicholas nodded and gazed out at the ocean. “When everything settles down, I’m going back to my day job. This is too much. I don’t know how you do it. You’re the strongest person I’ve ever met.”
“You’re a better person than me. When this winds down, I’m going on vacation.” I wrinkled my nose. “Although I think I’m soured on beaches for a while.”
He barked out a laugh and put his arm around my shoulders. “I’m sorry for everything.”
“I forgave you a long time ago. You’re coming home in one piece. That’s all I care about.”
“So you and Jordan?”
I stilled. “How did you know?”
“It was only a matter of time. When?”
“Not until just recently. Not when we were together.”
He nodded. “I still love you. I’ll wait for you.”
“Nicholas!” cried Candice. She threw herself at us. Rather, she threw herself at him and pushed me out of the way in one dramatic move.
Sprawled out, I gaped as she wrapped her arms around him and kissed his face repeatedly. Like a puppy trapped in a toddler’s embrace, Nicholas flailed and tried to disentangle himself.
“Candice, not now,” he wheezed. “Cripes.”
She burst into tears. “I was so worried about you. To see you on that altar and not be able to do anything was Hell on Earth.”
Oh. Oh. That’s what he wanted to tell me all those weeks ago. That was why she’d been acting strangely around me. My brain swam with questions I didn’t want the answers to, so I tried to smile at Nicholas as I got to my feet.
“Jas, I can explain. Don’t leave,” he begged. “Jesus, Candice, relax. I’m okay. Breathe.”
“Uh, we’ll catch up later,” I said, torn between horror and amusement. “You’re in good hands.”
He glared up at me in annoyance, and his eyes flashed red.
I stumbled back and looked at him again, but his eyes were back to their normal deep brown. It must have been a trick of the light or a residue of the magic in the air. Nothing was different, other than Candice’s octopus routine. I almost pitied him.
“Jas, please,” he begged as Candice examined each of his remaining visible bruises.
I shook my head. “Candice, make sure Nicholas gets in a vehicle and to the safe house right away. I’m putting you in charge of his health. Don’t fail me.”
Her cheeks turned pink, and she gave me a tentative smile. “Got it.”
I watched her help Nicholas to his feet and half-drag him up the beach. Alone again, I felt the weight of the last several years on my shoulders. The failures. The kidnappings and the deaths. They had all been for nothing.
Exhausted, I fell to my knees and wept.
EPILOGUE
SIX MONTHS LATER
ARE YOU READY?” ASKED Jordan.
I rolled my eyes. “You have got to stop asking me that. I’m always ready.”
He snickered and straightened his tie in the mirror. “I’m not the one who’s changed three times in the last two hours. You look fantastic. Now, hurry. I can’t be late.”
Smiling, I took in Jordan’s appearance. He wore a brand new suit in deep charcoal with a crisp white shirt. The lavender tie matched the other groomsmen in Danny’s party.
Cecilia had apologized for not making me one of her bridesmaids, which was ludicrous. Yeah, we’d gotten
much closer, and I could call her a friend, but the woman had three sisters and a million cousins. I knew where I fell on the totem pole and was okay with it. I’d still helped with the decorations and invitations and enjoyed it much more than I’d expected.
“Go ahead without me. We’re not sitting together.”
“Not for the wedding, but we are for the reception,” he reminded me. “You’re missing one earring.”
Yikes. I’d changed six times, not that anyone was counting, and had settled on a form-fitting deep rose sleeveless dress. It brought out my tan, courtesy of two weeks on the beach in the Bahamas, and made a killer display of my arms and back. My hair, now down to the middle of my back, had been arranged in loose, tousled waves, and my makeup was flawless, if I said so myself, which I did.
Sue me. I was vain.
During changing outfits, I’d switched accessories and couldn’t find my other small gold hoop. I shoved my feet into five-inch heels as I glanced around Jordan’s bedroom. I’d taken it over as my staging area yesterday and still couldn’t find everything I’d brought from my apartment.
Sighing, he leaned over the bed and plucked the errant piece of jewelry from the middle of his pillow. “Can we please go?”
I swiped on a final coat of lipstick and shoved it in my clutch. “Yes, I’m ready.”
✽ ✽ ✽
The Order knew how to throw a party. The actual wedding ceremony was beautiful, with perfectly selected readings, soaring music, and thoughtful, tear-jerking vows. Waterproof mascara was made for days like this. The bridesmaids were resplendent in their sunny yellow dresses and bouquets of daisies. Even the flower girl, Cecilia’s four-year-old niece, was a sight to behold with flowers in her hair and a brilliant white sash tied around her waist. And the groom’s party… holy hell, did Danny have a lot of attractive friends. None of them were as handsome as Jordan, but then again, I was biased.
As the ceremony wrapped up, Dakarai came forward and took my arm.
“You look beautiful, little sister,” he said. “Did you cry? I did.”
I grinned. “This is why we weren’t seated next to each other. We would have sobbed like a pair of ninnies. You look pretty snazzy yourself.”
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