Annnd...no response. Everyone looked away. All the moment lacked was crickets singing in the background.
Her hands fisted. "Imagine yourself standing here, in my place. Imagine your spouse or your friend or your father or brother struggling to survive. Imagine there is a way to save him...but someone is standing in your way. How would you feel? What would you do?"
Again, there was no response. Until...
"Let them pass," someone down the way shouted.
"Yeah," another called. "Have a heart. He's one of ours."
"It's not like you'll be adding more than five minutes to your wait."
"Fine," the next in line grumbled. "You're next."
Her relief was tempered by concern as she took in Thane's pale skin and blue-tinged lips. The first battle was won, but not the war.
Come on, come on, come the freak on. Finally, the iron gate opened, and as a female Sent One skipped out, smiling, Xerxes stalked past her, Thane still quiet and motionless in his arms. Bjorn and Elin followed closely behind.
This had to work. Failure wasn't an option.
Xerxes didn't stop at the River's shore, but waded in deep. Bjorn and Elin, too. At the moment of contact, however, terrible pain consumed her and she jumped out. What was that about?
Bjorn looked back at her, understanding lighting his face. "I heard what the prince said to you. He infected you with Kendra's poison and his own darkness."
"Yes."
"And now you hurt."
"Yes," she repeated, her gaze straying to Thane. He was still unconscious. Keep it together.
Bjorn tilted his head to the side, as if he was listening to a voice she couldn't hear. "The Water is a cleansing agent," he said. "The Most High has just informed me your defeat of the prince has earned a reward. Enter the River and be cleansed of the fallen angel's darkness, as well as Kendra's poison."
Thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you. "What about my immortality?" She had to keep it. For Thane. Because he would survive this. Nothing else was acceptable.
Again Bjorn's head tilted to the side. "You will lose only the evil that came with it."
Have the good, discard the bad? Thank you wasn't good enough. Steeling herself against what was to come, she dived in and swallowed a mouthful. The pain was immediate and intense, and she broke the surface screaming, but within a few minutes, a sweet sense of peace took its place.
The moment she was able to, she swam to Xerxes and Thane. The water was the perfect temperature. Not too warm, not too cold, and it sparkled against her skin, pleasant now. Shaking, she scooped the liquid into Thane's mouth, handful after handful, forcing him to swallow.
Still, there was no change.
She fed him even more liquid, desperation trying to choke her. She pressed her fingers into his neck, searching for a pulse. Nothing. Near-crippling anguish joined the desperation, and she gasped for breath.
"He helped me," she cried out, hoping the Most High could hear her. "He helped me defeat the prince. I couldn't have done it without him. Reward him. Please."
Again, there was no change.
"Thane," she rasped. "Please. Don't do this. You made me love you. You gave me a purpose. Now...give me a future. Please."
Bjorn and Xerxes exchanged a look teeming with grief.
She continued. "This isn't a debate. I told you heal, and so you'll heal. Do you hear me?"
Finally--finally!--he coughed, blood gurgling from the corners of his mouth.
She froze. Bjorn and Xerxes froze.
"Did that just happen?" she demanded.
"More. Give him more," Xerxes rushed out, and she began scooping more and more water into Thane's mouth, practically drowning him.
Another cough rang out, and there was a starburst of joy inside her.
"It's working!"
"Elin?"
Steady. Don't attack him. Not yet. But she could hardly contain herself, was jumping up and down, water sloshing around her. "I'm here, baby. I'm here."
Thane raised his arms to wipe his face--his hands had completely regenerated, she noted. He looked around, saw that he was cradled in Xerxes's arms like a baby, and frowned. "Where am I?"
Steady. "The River of Life."
Xerxes released him. "Elin decided you needed a bath." Guttural emotion thickened his voice.
"And she was right," Bjorn said, his voice just as thick.
Steady-- Oh, screw it. She threw herself against Thane. "I love you. I love you so much, and I've been cleansed of Kendra's poison. You don't have to worry--"
"I wasn't worried. You were alive, and that was all that mattered to me." His arms tightened around her. "I want you however I can have you."
"I love you." She peppered his face with kisses. "I'm so sorry I doubted you when I saw you with the girl. I--"
"Kendra," he said, cupping her cheeks. "That was Kendra, pretending to be you. But I recognized the differences, and wanted only to talk to her before you walked in. But Ricker came in and incapacitated me. Then the prince showed up and killed both Kendra and Ricker, and they did not regenerate."
"Good. That means the only enemy you have left is Ardeo."
"No." He buried his face in the hollow of her neck and breathed her in. "What he did, he did out of sorrow. Losing you...I understand, and I forgive. I'm done with that war. My weeds are gone."
Elin peppered him with more kisses, then looked, misty-eyed, at Bjorn and Xerxes. "Don't just stand there, guys. Get in on this. It's group-hug time!"
To her delight, they obeyed.
They are my family. Now and always.
These men were a gift. Thane had told her she was the light to his dark, but that wasn't true. These men weren't dark. Okay, so they were kind of darkish. But. For once, she loved the word. And they were healing. With a little help from her, they'd go all the way.
Step one, helping Bjorn with his much-needed divorce.
Step two, finding a date for Xerxes.
"What are you thinking, kulta?" Thane asked.
"Just that I love you," she replied. "And I'm going to make you and our two little boys happy. I know it."
Bjorn and Xerxes snorted.
"Hey, Zerk," she said. "Did I ever tell you about the girl I met at one of my dodge-boulder games? She--"
"No." He shook his head. "Never. You aren't playing matchmaker."
"He already has a woman." Bjorn wiggled his brows. "Her name is Cario, and she--"
"Isn't mine," Xerxes said, cutting him off.
Elin clapped. "Ohhh, I'm intrigued. Tell me more."
Xerxes dragged Bjorn away, the two men arguing.
"I'll find out, and give her a call," she bellowed after them. "Maybe we can double-date. Yes? Great. I'm taking your silence as a yes."
Thane grinned down at her slowly, sweetly. "A double date will be interesting, that's for sure."
"Why?"
"Because Xerxes would like to kill Cario."
"Oh. Well, not every relationship can be as healthy as ours."
"True. We'll just have to be an example to others for the rest of eternity."
She rubbed her nose against his. "Slight problem, Mr. Three. I'm not sure that's going to be long enough."
EPILOGUE
"TAKE THAT, BIATCHES," Elin shouted as she flipped the bird.
She'd just come in from the edge of the court and knocked out the Erections' second-to-last player. Yes. The Erections. That was their team name. And their motto? We Play Hard So You Can Suck It!
"Elin the Side Swiper rocks and socks it," someone in the crowd shouted.
Thane had given her the new moniker--he claimed she'd sneaked up on him and stolen his heart--and it had stuck.
Maybe because Multiple Scorgasms had made it all the way to the finals. And this, this was the championship match, and all their players were still in the game. No one had been knocked out.
Because they were fierce. They were determined.
This was for Chanel.
Thane, Bjorn
and Xerxes watched from the stands, cheering just like everyone else. Well, except for those stupid enough to be fans of the Erections. Okay, that hadn't come out the way she'd meant. Anyway. Those people were booing.
They must not have heard what Thane, Bjorn and Xerxes did to the last crowd to boo her. In essence, the stakes had seen another round of play. Short play, of course--they hadn't wanted to upset Zacharel--but enough to get their point across.
Gotta love my man.
On the Erections' team were Kaia, her sisters Bianka and Gwen, and Anya. They were quick on the speed trigger--ha-ha--but not quick enough. They were strong, but not strong enough.
Maybe because they were a bit distracted. Even though a couple of Sent Ones were helping to track them down, two of their people were still missing. Torin and Cameo.
Maybe there's something I can do. I'm kind of extra amazing now.
When Bellorie tossed a boulder with all of her might, the remaining player, Kaia, caught it--crap, spoke too soon!--knocking Bellorie out, and bringing in another player from the Erections. Kaia then darted in the air, the tiny wings on her back allowing her to hover as she selected her target. Elin. Of course.
She was without a boulder.
Kaia tossed the one she held. It was angled too low to catch...unless she dived headfirst, risking serious injury. But if she failed to dive, she would be tapped out. The game would be over, and her team would lose.
Whatever. I'll heal.
Elin dived.
The crowd went quiet with anticipation. The boulder slammed into her--into her face. Crack. Blood filled her mouth, but she was grinning as she stood with the boulder clutched in her hands and tossed it at Anya, nailing her in the ankle.
"Out!" she screamed with glee. She stuck her tongue out at both women. "You're both out."
And that meant...drumroll, please...the Scorgasms had done it. They'd won!
Her girls dog-piled her.
"Bonka Donk in the house!"
"We're the champs, and everyone else is a loser!"
"We're unstoppable!"
"Unbeatable!"
"And a little hideous," Bellorie said, no longer jumping up and down, but eyeing Elin with concern. "I hate to say it, but your face has been taken over by an alien life force."
"Thane will kiss me and make me better." Elin pulled from the pack and raced toward the crowd.
Her man had already pushed his way through the masses. He met her in the middle of the court and gathered her close.
"So proud of you, kulta," he said.
"Even though I had to cream your friends last week to get here?"
"Especially because you creamed my friends." He tenderly cupped her face. "Let's get you some Water."
"Nope." They had filled their vials while they swam in the River, but Bjorn needed every drop they had. His queen was summoning him more frequently now. They were looking for ways to break the bond between the two, but so far, they'd found nothing. "It may take a few days, but I'll heal on my own." It was one of the benefits of being fully immortal.
They were still trying to learn all she could do. Her strengths...her weaknesses. But Thane took everything in stride, helping her every step of the way.
He smiled at her. "There's a problem with your plan. I need your mouth for other things. Namely, my next tongue-lashing."
"Nothing could stop me," she promised, and she meant it. "Nothing."
*
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PROLOGUE
SEVEN-YEAR-OLD KOLDO sat as quietly as possible in the corner of the bedroom. His mother was brushing her hair, lovely dark ringlets spun with threads of the purest gold. She perched in front of the vanity, humming softly but excitedly, her smiling, freckled image reflected in an oval mirror. He couldn't help but watch her, fascinated.
Cornelia was one of the most beautiful creatures ever created. Everyone always said so. Her eyes were the palest violet, edged by lashes the same brown-and-gold mix as her hair. Her lips were heart-shaped, and her pale skin glowed as brightly as the sun.
With Koldo's inky hair, dark eyes and deeply bronzed skin, he looked nothing like her. The only thing they had in common was their wings, and perhaps that was why he was so proud of the glittering white feathers cushioned by plush, amber down. They were his one redeeming feature.
Her humming suddenly ceased.
Koldo gulped.
"You're staring at me," she snapped, all hint of her smile gone.
He cast his gaze to the floor, as she preferred. "Sorry, Momma."
"I told you not to call me that." She slammed the brush onto the marble counter. "Are you so foolish that you've already forgotten?"
"No," he replied softly. Everyone lauded her sweetness and gentleness as much as her beauty, and they were right to do so. She was generous with her praise and kind to everyone who approached her--everyone but Koldo. He'd always experienced a very different side of her. No matter what he did or said, she found fault. And yet, still he loved her with all of his heart. He'd only ever wanted to please her.
"Hideous little creature," she mumbled as she stood, the scent of jasmine and honeysuckle drifting from her. The purple fabric of her robe danced at her ankles, the jewels sewn into the hem sparkling in the light. "Just like your father."
Koldo had never met his father, had only ever heard about the man.
Evil.
Disgusting.
Repulsive.
"I'm having friends over," she said, flicking her hair over one shoulder. "You're to stay up here. Do you understand?"
"Yes." Oh, yes. He understood. If anyone caught sight of him, she would be embarrassed by his ugliness. She would rage. He would suffer.
She peered at him for a long while. Finally she growled, "I should have drowned you in the bathtub when you were too young to fight back," and stomped from the room, the door slamming shut behind her.
The rejection cut bone deep, and he wasn't sure why. She'd said far worse countless times before.
Just love me, Momma. Please.
Maybe...maybe she couldn't. Not yet. Hope unfurled in his chest, and he raised his chin. Maybe he hadn't done enough to prove himself. Maybe if he did something special for her, she would finally realize he was nothing like his father. Maybe if he cleaned her room...and had a bouquet of fresh flowers waiting for her...and sang a song as she drift
ed to sleep... Yes! She would hug and kiss him in thanks, the way she often hugged and kissed the servants' children.
Excited, Koldo folded the blankets he used for his pallet on the floor and jumped to his feet. He darted through the room, picking up the discarded robes and sandals, then fluffed the pillows strewn around the center rug, where Cornelia liked to relax and read.
He ignored the wall of weapons--the whip, the daggers and the swords--and straightened the items on the vanity: the brush, the bottles of perfume, the creams for his mother's skin and the pungent-smelling liquid she liked to drink. He polished every necklace, bracelet and ring in her jewelry box.
By the time he finished, the room and everything in it glistened as though brand-new. He grinned, pleased with his efforts. She would appreciate all that he'd done--he just knew it.
Now for the flowers.
Cornelia wanted him to stay here, and had he promised to obey her, he would have. But he hadn't promised. He'd told her only that he understood her desires. Besides, this was for her, all for her, and no one would see him. He would make sure of it.
He strode to the balcony, pushed open the double doors. Cool night air wafted over him. The palace was situated in a far realm of the lower heavens, neighbored by thousands of stars twinkling from an infinite expanse of black velvet. The moon was bright and high, a mere sliver curved into two upward points.
The moon was smiling at him.
Encouraged, Koldo stepped to the balcony's ledge. There was no railing, allowing his toes to curl over the side. He flared his wings to their full length, the action bringing a cascade of joy. He loved flying through the sky, soaring up and zipping down, rolling through the clouds, chasing birds.
His mother knew nothing of this. "You are never to use your wings," she'd announced the day they'd begun to sprout from his back. He'd planned to heed the command, he had, but then, one day, she'd been screaming about how much she despised him, and he'd climbed to the roof so that she wouldn't have to gaze upon his ugly face. His misery had distracted him and he'd fallen down, down, dooown.
Just before landing, he'd flared the previously unused appendages and managed to slow his momentum. He'd crawled away with a shattered arm and leg, broken ribs, a punctured lung and a fractured ankle. Eventually, he'd healed--and he'd next jumped on purpose. He'd been addicted to the feel of the breeze on his skin, in his hair, and had craved more.
Now, in the present, he dived headfirst. The air slapped at him, and he had to swallow his whoop of satisfaction. The freedom...the slight edge of danger...the rush of warmth and strength... He would never get enough. Just before impact, he straightened and leveled out, his wings catching the current. He landed softly, his feet already in motion.