~~~
CHAPTER
THIRTY-FIVE
Sasha: Fall—The New Moon
Rural New York
“Jayesh?” Sasha charged through the trees and came to an abrupt halt at the edge of the lawn. “Gen?” She shrank back into the shadows cast by the blood red moon, high overhead now. The lawn in front of her sister’s home swarmed with the fleeing enemy. Voices shouted as Livia’s people rushed to secure their captives. This was the Coalition. Livia’s backup. At the center of all their activity, Imogen and her Complement, Lucien, were collared and waiting on their knees beside a roaring fire. Jayesh stood over them, brandishing a blade and barking out orders. A woman led Sasha’s cousin Dean by the collar she’d placed around his neck, shoving him into the caged back of one of their vehicles.
Sasha couldn’t breathe. Had they just traded Dean’s life for Quinn’s? There was no way she was going to stand by and watch her sister and brother-in-law die in place of their parents. And she sure as hell wasn’t going to let Jayesh be the one to do it.
Sasha stepped into the circle of light, heedless of the Coalition agents scrambling to leave. “Jayesh. What are you doing?” she demanded as she stalked across the lawn to her sister’s side. “You can’t do this.”
“Sasha, no,” Imogen said gently. “You have to leave me here, sweetie. It will be okay. This is what Mother Raghavan was preparing me for.”
“You knew this was coming?” Lucien took his wife’s hand.
“I knew you and I were headed for a difficult time.” Her eyes shone bright in the moonlight.
“That’s why you’ve pushed me away since your return,” Lucien said.
“I was trying to distance myself from you. Hoping to save you from this.”
“Please let them go, Jayesh,” Sasha whispered.
“I can’t. There are too many eyes watching me.”
“Go Sasha,” Imogen said. “We will survive this. Jayesh, get her out of here!”
Arms pulled Sasha back, dragging her to her knees beside her sister.
“Wait,” Jayesh said. “I’ll do it.” He took the collar from the Coalition woman. His voice was hard, showing no trace of the careful mentor Sasha had come to admire. Or of the man she was falling for. The enormity of his betrayal broke her heart.
“Leave us,” Jay commanded.
The mortal woman released Sasha but she forced Imogen and Lucien to their feet. “Be quick about it.” She shot Sasha a glare as she shoved her captives toward the waiting van.
“No! You can’t, Jayesh. She’s my sister!” Sasha lunged after them, but Jayesh held her back.
“No, Sasha.”
“Don’t do this.” Tears rolled down her face. “Take me instead. Let them go and I’ll come quietly.”
Jay turned her to face him, keeping a firm grip on her arms. The cold look in his eyes grew warm as he stared at her. “I need you to trust me, angel,” he said softly. “I will not let them execute Imogen and her husband, but they’re going to have to come with me. For now. I have a job to do.”
“No, Jayesh.” She couldn’t fight the tears. “I know what this means now.” She reached to cup his face, brushing her thumb over the tattoo. The lines were old and faded, but she’d recognized the symbol at Amrita and knew it was the same as his tattoo. The ouroboros snake, biting its tail, just like the Soma brand. The symbol marked Jayesh a slave. “Come with me now and you can be free.”
“I’ll never be free of the master who tugs my leash.” He closed his eyes, bringing his hand up to hers.
He was so defeated, she wondered how she’d never realized. He hid it well. A broken Immortal was a dangerous and unfeeling weapon. Immortals like Jayesh spent their lives following the orders of the one who’d done the breaking. But there was a spark of the real Jayesh in there. She’d seen it.
“Go now. While they’re not looking. I’ll see your family isn’t taken to the prisons. That’s the best I can do for them. But if you don’t go now, I’m going to have to bring you with me, and I’ll die before I see you with the Soma brand.”
“Jayesh. I can’t leave you. Not like this. Not again.” Sasha clutched his shoulders, trying to drag him away with her.
“Don’t.” He took both of her hands in his. “Go back to your life. Go back to Quinn. Your family has won this battle and I’ve got to get our people out of here while I can.”
They both flinched as a blood-curdling scream filled the night and the horizon flickered with a golden green light.
“Allie?” Sasha gasped.
“You’ve got to go, angel.” Jayesh pulled her into a tight hug, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “Now, please.”
“Come with me. Please, Jay. My family can protect you.”
“I am the only one who can keep Imogen safe. If I stay here with you, the one who owns me will come for me. I can’t have him anywhere near you or your family. Forget about me, Sasha.”
The trucks and SUVs began to pull back down the drive, taking her sister with them.
“Get in the car, Jay,” Selena said, pulling up beside him. “Bring the girl in this time and you might win back the favor you lost when you let her go the first time.”
“Run, Sasha. Please.” Jayesh shoved her hard.
Sasha stumbled backward and then she was running through the trees, her body shaking with sobs she couldn’t control. How many times were the people she loved going to be ripped away from her?
~~~
CHAPTER
THIRTY-SIX
Quinn: Fall—The New Moon
Kelleys Island, Ohio
“You don’t have to do this,” George said. “The pull of your brands seems to have subsided. I see no need to secure either of you in the crypt.”
“I think we’ve outlasted Ryan for now, but he will try again,” Quinn said. He was just grateful to be home and with family. George technically wasn’t family, but he was Aidan’s brother-in-law and that made him family in Quinn’s mind.
The long drive home from New York was excruciating for both Santi and Quinn, but with the growing distance between themselves and Ryan, the intensity of the desire to return to Soma was fading.
“Each time he tries to lure you in and you outlast him, the brand’s influence will fade, as will the mark itself,” George explained.
“So I don’t have to live the rest of my life with this ugly reminder?” Santi glanced down at the slightly faded Soma brand on her wrist.
“You are both strong enough to fight the control of the brand, so for you it will fade. Others might not be so lucky.”
“Thank you, George,” Quinn said, stepping into the crypt cell with Santi.
“I don’t like seeing you behind bars, Quinn.” George shook his head sadly. “Not after all you two have been through.”
“It’s okay,” Santi said.
“Until I feel like I’m truly in control of my power, I’ll feel better behind bars,” Quinn insisted.
“It’s been so long since I’ve been able to use my power without permission. I just don’t think either of us trusts ourselves yet,” Santi added.
“Well, don’t tell Seamas I’m the one who locked you up,” George said. “My husband would have my hide and I’d like to have a peaceful night when all of this is over. You are free to go whenever you like. All you have to do is ask and we’ll let you right out.” He closed the gate to their shared cell with a clang.
George had just secured Livia in a highly magnetized cell, ending her control over them and anyone else as soon as she stepped inside. But Santi and Quinn still didn’t feel fully in possession of their power and suspected they needed to wait it out for her residual influence to fade completely.
“What can you two tell me about a young Immortal man traveling with a little girl?” George asked, glancing down at his phone. “Our sentries found them at the docks and they’re asking for you.”
“James and Lennox!” Santi cried. “Please bring them here. They’re our friends.”
> “The girl suffered an early Awakening,” Quinn said. “She’s an amazing kid, but she grew up in Soma and never had a family.”
“She has one now.” George smiled. “At least as far as Seamas is concerned. He’s the one who found them. I can’t believe it, but my husband is now a father. He bonded with her the moment he laid eyes on her tonight. I’m not sure she’s reciprocated yet, but it’s been an eventful night.”
“Thank God. That’s just what she needs!” Santi smiled. “Thank you so much.”
“I’m anxious to meet her,” George said. “For years we’ve been talking about adopting, but it was never a good time. I just can’t imagine what she’s been through. What all of you have been through.”
“She’ll have what she needs now,” Quinn said. “Seamas will know better than anyone how to help her recover.”
“What about James?” Santi asked.
“He’s not really a kid, but he could definitely use some parenting,” Quinn said. “Or some brothers to beat some sense into him.”
“He will have a home here,” George said. “He can stay with Scott and Darius in the loft for the time being.”
“And my family?” Santi asked.
“We need to get Santi’s family out of Atlanta as soon as possible,” Quinn said. “I know that’s asking a lot, but I promised. I—”
“Don’t worry, son. We’ll take care of it,” George said. “You two just get some rest, and don’t worry about a thing. Now I’m going to go meet my potential new daughter, but I’ll be back to check on you in a bit.”
Quinn paced the cell after George left, trying to shake off the uneasy feeling that something was missing.
“How are you … yourself?” Santi finally asked. She bit her lip nervously.
“Sasha. I think. Something about seeing her again snapped me out of it.” He stopped beside the cot where Santi sat.
“I’m glad.” She hesitantly grabbed his hand. “We’re free.” Her smile was just as hesitant.
“Funny thought considering we’re in a prison cell.” He crouched in front of her, taking both her hands in his. “What happened after she broke me? How did the Coalition become involved?”
“That was something we hadn’t counted on. I’m so sorry, Quinn.” Her eyes filled with tears. “I wouldn’t have taken such a risk with your family if I’d known she was going to come against them with such a force.” She shook her head. “I’m so sorry about your grandmother and Ju Long and Lu Li. Our freedom wasn’t worth the cost of their lives.”
“Shhh, Mina, it’s not your fault.” He moved to sit beside her on the cot.
“It was my plan.” She leaned into him.
“No one could have anticipated that would happen. We knew we were taking a risk.” If it was anyone’s fault, it was Quinn’s. He didn’t want her blaming herself for things that were out of her control.
“I think Livia was afraid of you,” Santi whispered. “She couldn’t seem to control you or predict what you would do. She called in her team and a legion of the Coalition just to be sure she would have the numbers on her side. After she forced James to tell her what he knew of Allie’s whereabouts from his prophecies, she was like a woman possessed.”
“Was I that awful?” He wasn’t sure if he even wanted to know what his madness had done.
“It wasn’t you, Quinn. Your madness was a little more than we expected.” She shivered.
“Did I—Did I hurt you?” He wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close to his side.
“No. But it wasn’t like I thought. You were so insane. Nothing like the person you are in here.” She tapped his chest with her fingertips.
“I’ve conquered him before. I can do it again, but he’ll always be there, lurking inside of me.”
“He’s not you, Quinn. You know that, don’t you?”
“I know.” He nodded. “He is part of me, but he doesn’t rule me. I can’t let him dictate how I use my power.”
“We get to shape who we become, Quinnton. We get to decide who we want to be. Not our batshit crazy gifts.”
“You’re right.” He smiled.
“Listen, now that we’re out…. You don’t owe me anything.” Her fingertips trailed across his jaw.
“I owe you everything, Mina.” He kissed her fingertips.
“What about Sasha? I can feel this enormous thing you have with her. I can sense the bond. I don’t understand it, but it’s bigger than me—”
“No, Santi. I don’t know what this is. But I know it doesn’t change the way I feel about you. I want to be wherever you are.”
“We have a few … guests.” Gregg’s voice drifted from the crypt entrance.
“Allie?” Quinn stood, crossing the cell to the barred entrance.
“Quinn?” She rushed over to him, reaching for the bars. “Why is he in a cell?”
She looked like hell. Blood and dirt smeared her face, like she’d cried bloody tears. Her red hair was a rat’s nest on top of her head, but she was beautiful. His friend. His family.
“It’s not safe for us to be with the family yet,” Quinn said. “I won’t trust myself until I’m in full control of my power again.”
“He asked us to put them here,” Gregg explained.
“It’s a long story, Allie. But I’m glad to see you.” He reached through the bars to clasp her hands.
“I’m so sorry, Quinn. It should have been me.”
But he was so grateful it wasn’t Allie in his place. Not that she couldn’t have survived it, but he suspected Allie was way more important to their future than he was.
“I’m so glad it wasn’t you. It was better this way.” He gestured over his shoulder to Santi, sitting quietly on the bed in the corner of the cell. He couldn’t imagine his life without her now.
Looking at Allie, Quinn knew she was headed for a confrontation with Livia. He glanced toward the door leading to Livia’s cell, grateful he wouldn’t be there when it happened. “Just … don’t judge her too harshly, Allie,” Quinn said. “She’s a heinous bitch, but she’s had a hard life. She’s never really had a choice.” He knew that now. Livia’s father made her into a weapon and never gave her a chance to be the person she wanted to be. She was a reluctant weapon. She didn’t know how to be anything else.
“Who?” Allie asked.
“Livia,” Gregg said. “She’s here. We couldn’t risk letting her escape this time.”
“Take me to her, please?” Allie’s voice rang with a confidence Quinn had never heard from her before.
“Are you sure?” Gregg asked.
“Yes.”
“She’s in a pissy mood, as you can probably imagine. And she’s not thrilled with you.”
“I bet not.” Allie heaved a huge sigh as she followed Gregg into another room where the cell bars practically hummed with magnetic energy.
Quinn caught a glimpse of Livia pacing her cell in a fury. He met her eyes just for a second and thought he saw her smile.
“Oh good, you brought the brat.”
~~~
CHAPTER
THIRTY-SEVEN
Sasha: Fall—The New Moon
Kelleys Island, Ohio
Sasha paced the length of the common room. The steady thump of her heart felt out of rhythm, like each beat held a faint echo. In the hour since she arrived home safely, she still hadn’t recovered from the rush of battle. Something was missing. Like a detail she couldn’t quite remember.
When Sasha had returned to the orchard after leaving Jayesh, she was a wreck, but pulled herself together when she found her mother gathering up their dead. Sasha watched in horror as Jin and Chloe laid Ming Lao in the back of the SUV. She could sense the wrongness shrouding Jin like a sickness and realized Ming Lao wouldn’t be rising again. Sasha moved to help Naeemah bring Ju Long and Lu Li to rest beside their daughter. Chloe crawled in beside her mother’s body, holding her hand and staring with vacant, dry eyes. There was something vaguely terrifying about the look on Chloe’s face.
There was no room in the vehicle for Sasha so she slid behind the wheel of one of the remaining cars. She sat in a daze, half of her wanting to follow Jayesh. The other half pulled her toward Quinn like a beacon.
Sasha stopped her pacing at the sound of a weary step coming up from the crypt.
“Sasha?” Allie’s voice sounded haunted.
“I heard you coming. What do you know? I just got back.” Sasha’s nervous babble tumbled out of her mouth.
“I was going to ask you the same thing.”
“Have you seen him?” She was going to throttle Allie if she didn’t start talking.
“Quinn? Yes. He’s fine.”
“Where is he?” Her eyes were starved for the sight of him. She needed to see him.
“He asked them to lock him up in the crypt. He’s still not himself. Livia had some kind of hold on him. She was using his gifts.”
“She took them?” Sasha’s stomach heaved at the thought that she’d stripped him of his gifts.
“No. It seems she can piggyback onto a gift without actually stealing it. He was in bad shape, but you broke him out of it, Sash. You did it. You brought him home. I don’t think we could have gotten through to him any other way.”
“Then what is this?” She threw her hands up in frustration, her eyes bright with unshed tears. Quinn was home. Her was here and he needed her. She could sense his anxiety.
“Calm down. Let’s sit,” Allie said. “What are you talking about?”
“I can feel him, Allie. Like I can feel his heart beating in my chest. Something happened out there when we saw each other.”
Allie paled in the dim light of the common room. “Have you talked to Naeemah?” she asked hesitantly.
“No, I haven’t seen anyone since I got back.”
“Who did you ride home with?”
“I drove home alone. I followed Mom.”
“Where is everyone? Where’s Aidan?” Allie asked.
Immortals of Indriell- The Collection Page 115