by J. M. Davies
“Better than you, son,” Steel said in his deep, gruff voice.
His boss stepped forward, and glanced over at Drayton before he settled his gaze on him. He knew that look. Something was coming, and he wouldn’t like it. He shifted in the bed and attempted to sit forward. In an instant, the doc appeared at his side, helping him, and he smiled at her, noticing how cute she was, perhaps for the first time. On instinct, he reached out his hand to clasp hers, and the churning in his belly settled.
“About Henry—the plan you were going to execute would have failed. The Padre recruited him to infiltrate us. He’s been sending pertinent information to the bastard from the beginning.”
“What—what the fuck? Did you know this, Drayton?” He zeroed his eyes in on Drayton as the doc squeezed his hand and he tried to rein in his anger.
“Not in the beginning, but I had my suspicions about Henry, especially after the trip to the Veil. We discovered a leak. I thought Huron was the spy, but after speaking with Lady Tenille, and Huron, I knew it must be someone else.”
“When I met Henry, he was open and upfront about everything. He explained the Padre had killed his brother and held his parents hostage, blackmailing him to work for them. He despises everything the man stands for, but he wouldn’t risk his parents’ lives, and agreed to extract information for the Padre. However, ultimately, he wants the bastard dead. I offered him the chance to do both—covertly. He didn’t know about the demon, and I believe him, but everything he spoke of weeks ago is true. His brother was in the military, but what he didn’t mention was the fact he was too. He believes in the military code of conduct, and will fight until the death for his country. His death right now wouldn’t serve anyone. Not his family, nor the country, or us. We agreed together on a course of action. One I hadn’t shared with Drayton.”
“You fucking sent me out there, knowing he would shoot me?” He wrenched his body forward and slid his legs over the edge of the bed, muttering curses under his breath.
“Jake, you need to rest. Not get yourself all riled up. And anymore from you lot and you’ll have to leave. If he injures himself, it will spoil all the work Ella has done. Your wounds look good, but you need time for your muscles to heal fully.”
Jake glared at the doctor as she pushed his boss out of the way and grabbed his leg, sliding it back onto the mattress. “You are my patient, and until you’re discharged, you will listen to me. Am I clear?”
He stared at the slim woman in her starched lab coat, not remembering her ever being quite so bossy and fired up before. Right now, her commanding behavior was causing havoc as it excited his body in all sorts of awkward places. “And what if I discharge myself?” he challenged.
Drayton scratched his head and Steel sighed, stepping back.
“Jake, just for once, do as you’re told. Henry is a highly skilled marksman. He chose the areas on your body with a keen precision, taking expert care to miss vital organs, and deliberately missing the bones to make sure you weren’t disabled,” Marcus stated.
“Are you saying I should be fucking grateful for that? The bastard shot me. How did the rest of the team fare?” He narrowed his gaze on Marcus.
“There were casualties, but no fatalities,” Drayton said in his straightforward manner.
Jake hung his head. “When did you know?”
Marcus rubbed his neck and raised an eyebrow as Ella rested her hand on his arm, stroking him.
“The day you left. Steel asked to see me urgently, and what he said explained a few things, but I wasn’t fucking happy to say the least. Ella and I were on the supporting helo the minute I could arrange it. We were in the air when you landed in Mauritius. At that point, I made the decision not to tell you. It would have jeopardized the entire mission. Henry had to take you down; it had to look real. I warned the men not to say anything to you. Look, once he has extracted what he needs in order to help us, he is going to take out the Padre. This isn’t going to happen today, or tomorrow. It could be months,” Marcus said, his face hard as stone.
Jake glared at his boss, and knew if Henry succeeded, he probably wasn’t going to return. It was a suicide mission. He rubbed the bristles on his chin. Lately, everything he thought he knew had a way of exploding right in his face. First, Sparkles becoming a vampire, Henry turning into a spy, and now, the way his mind played over the kiss with the serious doctor. A woman he had never looked at twice or spent any time assessing before. But now, his eyes honed in on her sweet lips, wanting another taste.
“Doc, I’ll stay on one condition.”
The doc placed the blanket over his legs and removed the sticky electrodes from his bare chest. “What?”
He studied her petite features and smiled. “You give me a shave.”
“Deal,” the doc said in her featherlight, wispy voice so fast he reeled, expecting her to refuse.
But as he raised his eyebrow, a curiosity grew. He folded his arms behind his head and relaxed back into the soft pillows.
Marcus groaned and Ella smiled at him.
“Good. Now, any good news? Because right now, I could do with some.”
“Ella’s pregnant,” Drayton burst out.
Shit, that caught him off guard. He stared at Ella as she slapped his boss and glared daggers at him. Things were obviously still rocky between them.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
They sat in the dining room, Steel positioned at the head of the large mahogany table with the heads of the Assembly gathered around. An eerie sense of deja vu swam around and Ella shivered. She assessed the always composed Lady Tenille, and equally controlled Huron. Zayn kept dodging her gaze and Alexander, well, he always looked cool and debonair in his suit as he grinned at her. Ella smiled back and studied the rest of the group, who all wore differing expressions: from a smiling Raine to a haunted Zephra. Roman appeared his usual confident self with Isabella sitting next to him, deep in thought. Both Marcus and Jake were at opposing ends of the grand table with somber faces.
It was Christmas Eve, and the scent of pine from the Christmas tree in the corner of the room a welcome buffer zone for the rich brew of odors circulating in the room. They had three weeks left until the Morrigan’s deadline ran out to either join forces or die. A month ago, they lost Robert Marsh, a name now emblazoned on her mind, even though she knew little of the playful leader of the shifters. His death had been a warning shot. The Morrigan wanted to demonstrate her power and reach, by striking right at their hearts, but when she struck Isabella down, the goddess grossly underestimated the lengths they would go to prevent losing one of their own. However, after fighting with the queen to release Steel, the threat continued. The Morrigan claimed victims, and delivered her threats across the country.
“I’m going to let Marcus chair this meeting as I have been absent for so much. What I will say is that Operation Kamikaze is under way. We haven’t received any news from Henry yet, but that’s to be expected. We will continue to monitor the Padre’s every move and wait. I have every faith in the young man.”
Ella observed Steel’s lines, which deepened as he talked about the secretary with a sad and faraway tone. The implications of the name of the operation were not lost on anyone.
“After the meeting in the Veil, Trent Le Var refused to attend today. Several of his people were slaughtered in his absence, including his wife, and he’s looking to make a deal with the Morrigan for the sake of his children and people.” Drayton tapped his pen on the table as he stared around the table. With his other hand, he lifted the blue glass and sipped on the water. “While I understand each leader has to make a decision they feel is best, only unity will make us a force to be reckoned with.”
“I’m here to pledge my support. I agree we need to fight this queen of darkness together, and De’Luca investments are at your full disposal,” Roman said, his face tense as he squeezed Isabella’s hand. The witch turned vampire sat demurely next to the prince, wearing an eye-catching red wrap dress and Ella couldn’t stop glancin
g over, desperate to catch up. Her friend glowed, and it wasn’t because of the transformation into a vampire. She smiled at the sleek woman who gave a satisfied smirk back. Happiness rolled off Isabella in waves.
“I would like to take this opportunity to announce that Isabella and I are getting married, and you’re all invited to the wedding.”
Ella opened her mouth, ready to launch into a million questions, but gazed between Isabella and Jake. She caught Isabella’s shocked look and watched as she struggled to remove her hand from the vampire’s, obviously annoyed at his sudden announcement, and watched as Jake sipped his water with slow control, as if unaffected.
“When is the wedding?” Marcus asked.
Ella listened, eager for the news, and her eyes fell on Isabella.
“We, um—we haven’t set a date yet,” said Isabella, still attempting to free her hand from Roman, who smiled down at the woman as he brushed her cheek with his thumb tenderly.
“Come now, my love, you know I would be happy to whisk you away today and say I do in Las Vegas, but duty calls for something more formal and extravagant.”
The witch lifted her head and responded. “I don’t want extravagant. Simple will do, just family and friends.” As if realizing she had answered and not objected, the witch lowered her head, but the vampire smiled broader and sat back in his chair.
“With all that is going on presently, I will wait a little longer, but I will not let the Morrigan destroy this happy event. The wedding will take place on Valentine’s Day, February 14. It seems appropriate,” Roman said.
Zephra left her seat and glided over to Isabella. She kissed her sister on the cheek and hugged her. Isabella caught her hand and smiled up at her.
“You will make a beautiful bride, sister.”
Isabella blinked and pressed her lips together. Even though she was a vampire, Ella had never seen her friend quite so emotional.
“Is this what you want?” Zephra asked.
Ella’s eyes widened. She hadn’t expected the witch to ask such a frank question in front of everyone, and her heart thudded as she studied Roman, who waited for a response. One didn’t come straight away, but Isabella faced Roman and pressed her palm on his composed face, stroking his cheek.
“More than anything—yes.”
Roman cupped Isabella’s chin and leaned over, kissing her gently. “Mi hai cambiato la vita,” he said.
“Ah, you do have a heart, Roman,” Zephra said.
Ella frowned, not understanding the words the vampire had spoken and she stared over at Zephra, ready to ask.
The witch tilted her head. “For those who do not speak Italian, Roman said, you have changed my life,” Zephra announced.
Not quite the words Ella expected to hear, but as she studied the prince, his brusque exterior softened a little. The devil winked at her. She laughed. They could do this. The Morrigan wouldn’t defeat them. Together they were stronger than ever.
“Well, congratulations to you both, and will you continue to work for Orion, Isabella?” Marcus asked.
Roman released the witch’s hand and she sat forward, glancing down the table at Jake before honing in on Marcus.
“Yes—I would like to carry on working here, if I am welcome.”
“I think I speak for us all by saying we are more than happy to have you. Jake, what do you have to say?”
Ella knew her husband wanted to address the issue with Jake upfront, never one to shy away from problems. But she tensed, knowing this must be difficult for the man.
“You deserve the best, Sparkles—I’m happy for you. As for you remaining at Orion—I have no issue with that. You’re part of the team. As long as you don’t want to sink your teeth in me and drink my blood, we’ll be fine.”
In a flash, Isabella left her seat and stood behind Jake, with her hands pressed down on his shoulders as he tensed. She leaned in close and whispered in his ear.
My tastes have changed, but I will kick your ass anytime you want, partner.
Jake’s shoulders slumped, and he nodded. Isabella returned to her seat in a split second, and Roman placed his arm around the back of her chair, eyeing the man she had just left, his face fixed in a stony glare.
“I wish to offer our congratulations also for your nuptials. Weddings are a joyous occasion, and a time to celebrate the reasons we fight to stay alive. To keep those we love safe. I am here to assist in any way I can to defeat the Morrigan. With that in mind, I bring a gift. Huron, if you please.”
The strong, heavily built guard left his seat and strode over to the tall wooden dresser and picked up an intricately designed, long, wooden box. On the front lay delicate gold etchings. He set the lightweight box down in front of Lady Tenille.
“Ella, would you please come here?”
Lady Tenille’s cold blue eyes focused on hers, and without speaking, she rose out of her seat and marched to stand next to the mysterious woman who always seemed to know far more than she ever voiced.
“Open the box.”
Ella wet her lips, and stared around the room. Marcus had both his hands gripped on the edge of the seat, and she smiled over at him. She smoothed her hand over the lid and stared down at the ancient language carved into the surface, not understanding what the words meant, but recognizing the symbols. They matched The Book of Blood and she opened the box, excited. She gasped as she stared at the sheer craftsmanship and rich beauty of the gleaming silver sword nestled inside on the rich ruby velvet. Ella lifted the heavy steel blade encrusted with bright jewels in the handle, until a rainbow appeared as the sun from the outside hit the gems, and the room fell silent.
“It’s a sword forged from deep in our valley, cast from the purest iron from a fallen meteorite. But that is not what makes it special. In the hands of the right person, the blade kills immortals. With this sword, Ella, you will defeat the Morrigan.”
Marcus pushed his chair back and stamped over to Lady Tenille, but he didn’t utter a word.
Ella studied the sword in silence, enraptured with the feel of it in her hand. Captivated by Lady Tenille’s statement, Ella stood back and waved the sword around, thrusting it through the air. A pulsing and guiding life-force exuded from the weapon that drove her to make cutting motions that sliced through space, making everyone gasp around her. Holding the sword somehow seemed natural, and a fire lit inside her belly, remembering her fight with the Morrigan.
“This is your destiny, Ella. You are one of the few. The chosen. I knew it the moment I met you. You’re an old soul, with such power and potential inside you.”
“Do you know Ella is pregnant?” Marcus asked.
“Yes.” The lady nodded.
“Why does it have to be Ella who fights the Morrigan?” Marcus asked in such a calm voice Ella peered over at the exchange.
Lady Tenille glided toward him and clutched his arm, observing him. “Because she will have no choice.”
Marcus frowned, as did Ella, puzzled as to what the lady meant. But she gazed over at Raine and Zephra, who wandered to her side. A sense of foreboding filled her. Zephra stepped away from her sister and touched her free hand.
“Please remember, I never see the entire story when I have a vision, but this one was vivid. I saw you fighting the Morrigan in the temple of the gods. I don’t know when this takes place, but I know you’re fighting to save your family, and that sword is in your hand. I saw it as clear as day.”
A clatter sounded out around her as she dropped the striking weapon to the ground. A sinking sensation overcame her delight at the feel of it in her hand as she stared at Marcus. A fear rose at the witch’s words. Where’s Marcus in all of this? Nate? The baby? Her hand fell over her belly and Marcus drew her into his strong arms, brushing her hair away from her flushed cheeks.
“It’s only a vision. We don’t know what it truly means. I will not let anything happen to you or our family.”
Ella stared at the overprotective man. Her mate. Her husband, and the father of her child
ren—her love. Since her admission of needing time, Marcus remained at Steel’s mansion, but they agreed to spend Christmas as a family. Now, she wondered whether their time together neared the end. Resting her head over his heart, she listened to the steady beat as he stroked her hair. This moment would never come again. Life was precious, and deep down she loved Marcus with every beat of her heart.
“My heart and soul are entwined with yours, Marcus, but the Morrigan wants you, and she wants to hurt us.”
He stroked her cheek with the pad of his thumb and she closed her eyes, savoring the exquisite pleasure only his touch brought, forgetting the past.
“I know—let her come. I will be ready.”
Ella didn’t protest. She knew because Marcus had opened his mind to her that he believed the best way to tackle the goddess was to bring the war to her. To give her what she wanted. Him. He would surrender himself, if only to discover how best to defeat her, and although every part of her rejected the idea, she agreed. Fighting the tears, she clung to him.
Are you sure?
Yes.
“We’re going to find Issac Blackshaw, Ella’s brother. We believe he’s an important piece in this puzzle. It will also give the Morrigan an opportunity to strike at me if that is truly what she wants. Nothing is certain as far as that woman is concerned. She likes to play games, but finding this soul-shifter is vital. But before we go, I want to adjust the balance of power between us.”
“Marcus, we talked about this. I won’t take your power.”
Marcus captured both her hands in his. “All—that I am, belongs to you. Take what you need. It’s my way of making amends. It’s all I have to offer, and it will help you fight the Morrigan if that vision should be true.”
Nothing prepared Ella for his words and a panic set in. “You can’t do that, Marcus. You’ll be exposed and vulnerable, our bond weakened.” Ella bowed her head, unable to meet his eyes at his sacrifice, and knowing the threats the Morrigan issued about her husband.