by Jaymin Eve
Without warning, she swung out at me, and again, it was only my reflexes and relative sobriety that gave me a chance to dodge her palm. But it turned out she hadn’t been aiming to slap me. Her hand skimmed across my face, droplets flinging with it. The rain had stopped, so I knew it had to have come from Kate, and then a strong bitter taste hit my lips.
I shook my head as it went immediately cloudy.
“Cliffston,” Kate whispered.
I stumbled, shaking my head again. Did she just say cliffston? The herb that put supes to sleep?
I tried to back up from her and call for help, but nothing in my body was working. As I slumped forward, someone caught me in strong arms, and then I was lifted and we were moving quickly. I remained conscious as they ran, my nerves screaming at the way I was wrapped in my kidnappers’ arms. I was bound, unable to move, and it was triggering my old PTSD again.
I hated this out-of-control feeling; if I could have moved, my limbs would have been shaking like crazy. These bitches had better plan on killing me, because if they didn’t, and I got out of here alive, I was going to torture them. Then kill them.
With my last conscious moments, I attempted to free my power. I needed it now more than ever, but between Louis’s block and the herb, I was useless.
My kidnappers moved fast, and then I … I was in a car.
I lost time after that; everything was disjointed, even when I was lifted again and dropped onto a hard surface. How long I lay there on the stone ground, I had no idea, but eventually the cliffston wore off. Pushing myself up, I groaned, squeezing my eyes shut to relieve the tension headache. When I found the equilibrium to get to my feet, I looked around, trying to figure out where I was.
The room was small, with cobbled ground and a single bench along one wall. It looked like a courtyard that someone had decided to close in after the house was built. I kicked off my heels, wanting to be able to run with ease—if I got the chance. My beautiful dress was torn and dirty, and I could already see bruises forming across my thighs and down my shins. Considering supes didn’t bruise easily, it told me they’d been rough.
My gait was uneven, but I made it to the solid wood door. Rattling the handle—it was locked—I attempted to shoulder my way out. All that got me was additional bruises and anger issues. Turning, I slumped back against it. There was nothing else in the room that I could try and escape from. No windows. No fireplace. No air vents.
I started to shout as loud as I could, hoping it would annoy them into letting me go. “Let me out! Open the fucking door!”
Over and over, until I was hoarse and half slumped against the door. Either no one was here and I’d just wasted precious energy, or they were very good at ignoring their victims.
Sliding further down the door, I coughed a few times, my chest and throat aching. The door abruptly opened behind me and I almost tumbled out backward. Scrambling to my feet, I backed up, giving myself some distance.
A man stood in the threshold. He was taller than me by a few inches, and there was something vaguely familiar about him, even though I was almost certain I’d never seen him before.
“There you are,” he said, his lips quirking up in the corners. I stared harder at those lips, my sense of déjà vu increasing.
He stepped further into the room, closing the door behind him, and I backed up as far as I could go.
“How are you feeling?” he asked. “We gave you something to counter the cliffston’s effects, but you’ll probably still be drowsy for a few hours.”
“Who—?” My voice cracked, and I swallowed hard. “Who are you?”
His eyes were so dark that there was only a sliver of color difference between his pupil and iris. His face was angular, handsome, but in a scary way, all shadowy planes and high cheekbones. Even if he hadn’t kidnapped me, I would have been wary of him.
“My name is Connor. I’m the head of this division of the Arterians.”
Everything became frighteningly clear: this wasn’t anything to do with Kate or Chellie and their hatred for me. This was about the Arterians. I stared harder at Connor, and there was that familiarity around his mouth and white teeth.
“You’re the one who tried to take me outside the Academy?”
I was sixty percent sure.
He nodded. “Yes, I needed you to come with me. Accept who you are.”
“And who am I?” I asked, in no mood to fuck around.
He casually crossed his arms over his chest. “We believe you’re the one we need to return our world to its former glory.”
I coughed out a derisive laugh. “Seriously?”
Connor lost some of his relaxed attitude. “Why do you fight the inevitable? Your fate? You belong with us, as part of the fold.”
Ignoring the fate thing, because what the fuck? I focused on the second part of his crazy. “What fold?”
“We’re the people of Sonaris. You’re the daughter of Queen Helene, the last living ruler of Atlantis. A daughter she bore from Sonaris himself. Only our god’s blood could return our world, since god’s blood stole it away. You were saved to bring about the rise of Atlantis.”
I stared at him for many long moments, and then I laughed for so long that my sides ached and my chest hurt. Connor moved in that superspeed way that I’d seen Asher use, and then he was right before me.
“Laugh all you want, but you are the daughter of Sonaris, and you are our only hope.”
In that instance, I realized he was serious. He believed this crazy.
Holy shit.
31
He truly believed that I was somehow ten thousand years old, and the daughter of a queen and god. “How is it that I’m alive?” I said, keeping my voice even so as not to antagonize the crazy assassin. “I mean, if this Queen Helene was the last queen of Atlantis, and it sank … what, like ten thousand years ago, then … I mean, I’ve aged really well…”
He stood straighter, like his time had finally come. This was a story he’d clearly been sitting on for years. “You were in a magical stasis where you did not age or change. We expect the rest of the Atlanteans are in this same condition. Together we can bring about the rebirth of our civilization.”
Loud shouts outside of the room cut off further conversation. Connor spun to face the door, his arms spread out on either side of him. I felt the pull of magic and watched half in fascination and half in fear as blue orbs of light appeared in each hand.
“Stay behind me,” he said softly, “I will protect you.”
I snorted. “And who will protect me from you, you crazy asshole?”
He shot me a confused look. “I will protect you from everyone.”
I lifted one eyebrow, but before I could point out the complete lack of logic in that statement, the door burst open. Literally. It smashed into countless pieces, scattering across the room. I ducked my head, but still got some scrapes from the debris.
A furious Asher stood in the doorway. His broad shoulders heaved as he looked around the room. When his gaze landed on me, I choked back a sob, and fought my desperation to run to him. I didn’t want to distract him from the very dangerous man still standing between us.
“You need to move away from her, Con,” Asher said slowly, his voice low and gravelly. “This is not like when we were kids. I will end you.”
Con? Like … they were old friends or something.
Connor shook his head, his lips pulling down. “I’m sorry, Asher. I really am. But you know why I need this to happen. You know why I need Atlantis to rise again. I’ve spent years tracking down every possible lead, and she is it. She’s the one.”
He released both orbs, and I screamed, but Asher dodged them with ease, releasing his own powerful spell in almost the same instant. They both spoke fey words, attack words that were far beyond anything I’d learned, sending energy and light back and forth across the room.
It appeared they were almost equally matched, until Asher broke from the magic fight, taking two steps forward to slam his
fist into Connor’s face.
Connor flew back across the room.
I rushed toward Asher, only to be hauled back by an invisible force. My back hit the wall behind us and I groaned. Asher’s gaze locked on me, and there was lethality in that one look. I barely recognized him as the same supe who had been sexily flirting with me at the party. This Asher was scary.
“I’ve got you, Maddi,” he rumbled. “I won’t let him touch you again.”
Asher’s scent, sun and light and fresh air, increased as his power started to fill the courtyard room. It was both palpable and visible. Blue and white wisps sent my hair flying as wind whipped around us. Connor was back on his feet, standing in front of me, his power still holding me to the wall. The immobility wasn’t freaking me out like it should have been though, because I was focused on Asher.
“Enough!”
The voice was female and unfamiliar. Straining to see who it was, I could barely move an inch, which had my fear finally kicking in. The heat in the center of my body expanded in response, and for once I pushed harder at it, needing to be at full strength.
“How is this possible?” Asher said, his voice dead of emotion. Which made me look closer at the woman. No emotion was usually when Asher was feeling things the strongest.
She stepped out of the shadows. The first thing I noticed was her black hair with a silvery sheen, and then when she turned her green eyes on me, I gasped.
The woman looked just like Asher. Did he have a sister?
“Nice to see you again, son,” she said, as emotionless as him.
Son? What in…? How in the fuck?
“There’s a lot you don’t understand,” she said. “I promise to tell you everything soon. But first we need to take Maddison to the Greek Islands. We need her help to bring our Atlantis back.”
Asher’s power increased, and the woman looked pained as she tried to push forward. “Son, you know this is the right thing,” she shouted. “We have no other option.”
“You’re not my mother.” Asher snarled, his voice lashing out like lightning, striking each of us in the room. “She died a long time ago. I don’t know how you’re mimicking her face, but you do not have me fooled.” His chest rumbled. “If you don’t want me to destroy this building and everyone in it, then Maddison will be returned, unharmed, to the Academy, and you will never involve her in any of your or the Arterians’ schemes again.”
His fake mother gasped, long and dramatic, and I could tell by her expression that she really was shocked. “How … how can you say that? You would damn us all to save her?”
I wanted to sob as Asher’s eyes caught mine. “I would,” he said. “You and everyone else.”
Connor, who was fighting his way through Asher’s power, reached the woman’s side. “Is there another way?” he asked.
She paused, a thoughtful look crossing her cold features. She was as beautiful as Asher, there was no denying it, but the fire that lived inside of him was missing from her.
She was cold and broken.
Could it be an imposter wearing her skin? That was kind of horrific to consider.
“There’s one other way, which Asher knows about.” She waved a hand at him. “I left him the letter, which he chose to ignore. He has ignored his destiny.”
Asher scoffed. “Most people would ignore a letter from their dead mother.”
She smirked; she knew she had him.
“Asher…” I managed to choke out. The hold was making it hard to speak. “Don’t. Please.”
His dark eyes met mine, and what I saw there scared me: resignation.
Pushing at my power, I struggled to get free, because I couldn’t let him do this. Whatever his evil fake mother wanted, I had to stop him.
But I couldn’t break the shield over my powers; it was too strong, and again, I was not enough.
A sob escaped me as Asher and I exchanged another long look. “I agree to your terms,” he said, never turning from me. Some of his power faded from the room.
“No!” I cried, my chest aching. I didn’t know what he’d agreed to, but I knew it was bad and he’d done it to save me.
“It’s agreed,” the woman said. “You will follow me to the islands of your birth and help us to bring about the rise of Atlantis.”
Asher nodded. “I will, but what I said stands as well. You must allow Maddi to return safely to the Academy, and you will never go near her again.”
The woman’s eyes met mine, and she waved her hand, releasing the magical hold binding me. Bitch. It had been her holding me all along.
As I tumbled to the floor, Asher crossed to me, leaving Connor and the woman near the door. Reaching down, he gently lifted me, careful of my ribs and other injuries. He seemed to know exactly where I was hurt as he held me close. “Go with the guys,” he said softly, leaning forward. “Don’t leave the Academy until I return. Promise me. Whoever is impersonating my mother, they’re strong. I don’t trust them to keep their word.” His voice went even lower. “I have a plan to eliminate the threat, but I need to know you’re safe first. Work with me on this.”
Tears were already filling my eyes. “No, Asher. Please, don’t do this. We can deal with it together.”
His lips pressed to mine and I cried hot silent tears as our bittersweet kiss lasted for many long moments. “Find the library,” he whispered as he pulled back. “Find it, and then figure out what your part is in all of this. Figure out how to channel your power. I think it’ll come in handy soon.”
A hand landed on his shoulder. “Your time is up,” the woman said. “Let your little friend go home and we will take our first and most important step forward as a family.”
Her eyes locked with mine and I could see the promise there. She was not done with me. But whatever she wanted from Asher was worth postponing my part of her big plan.
Asher shrugged her off. He stroked his thumb across my cheek one last time, his expression heavy and filled with regret.
“Ash,” I cried as she pulled him away.
His face once again emotionless, he turned to leave with her.
Connor joined them, looking unhappy. His eyes kept darting back to me, and I knew it was bothering him to leave me behind. He truly believed I was the daughter of a god.
My heart broke when they were almost out of the room. Sobs burst free. Asher paused, his shoulders tense as he turned back. I took a step closer.
“Don’t do this,” I begged. “I’m not worth it.” I couldn’t live if he sacrificed himself to save me.
He shook his head, a sad smile tilting his lips. “You’re worth so much more than this,” he said.
I took another step forward, but they had disappeared. I crossed my arms over my chest as more sobs ripped from me. So much of what just happened I didn’t understand. All I knew for certain was that Asher was gone.
Asher had been my friend for months. My lover for a night. And in my heart for a long time.
Now he was gone.
“Maddi!” Rone’s rumbling roar broke through my grief. I lifted my head to see the giant vampire rushing through the doorway.
He moved in a flash, his body blurring with speed as he dashed toward me. I was crying too hard to say anything. All I could do was choke out indecipherable words.
He reached out, wrapping his huge hands around my biceps, pulling me closer. The icy vampire energy hit me, and strangely enough, it made me feel the tiniest bit better.
“What happened?” he pressed, staring down at me. “I was held by some sort of spell, and it only just released me.”
I tried again. “Asher,” I managed to get out.
Rone shook his head, and then he shocked the shit out of me when he yanked me right into his body and … hugged me. Held me close to his chest.
“Holy fuck,” he growled in my ear. “You scared the ever-living gods out of me.”
More tears fell, because this was the first time I’d ever heard or seen Rone express any sort of softer emotion toward me, and
I couldn’t even enjoy it because of Asher.
He set me gently on my feet, icy blue eyes looking me over. “Are you hurt?” he asked. Then he looked around. “Where is Ash?”
I shook my head, throat tight. Rone’s expression turned into a grim specter of death. Not mine this time, thankfully; his rage was for another. “That stupid bastard sacrificed himself to save you, didn’t he?”
I nodded, anger crushing the pain, giving me a surge of energy. “Yes.” I cleared my throat. “Some woman that looked exactly like his mother was here, but Ash said she was a fake. She said she had left him a letter about his destiny, which he said he had ignored. It was Asher or me, and he took the bullet for us both.”
My ramblings barely made sense, but Rone seemed to understand. “We’ll get him back, don’t you worry. And rest assured that Asher can look after himself.”
He was so much calmer than I expected; it seemed he had a lot of faith in Asher and his powers. But he hadn’t seen that woman … hadn’t felt her slimy, evil presence. She’d known that wearing Asher’s mom’s face was a surefire way to throw the Atlantean off-balance. She was devious and sneaky, and I was more than a little worried.
Rone led me toward the door. “The others are securing the perimeter. It was lucky that Axl put a tracker on you, because we wouldn’t have easily found you this fast otherwise.”
In normal circumstances I’d have been ultra pissed that someone put a tracker on me without my permission, but in this situation I really didn’t have a place to be angry. I should have expected it. Axl had trackers on all of his friends because he couldn’t sleep at night unless he knew they were safe. I’d clearly made the cut there, which was sweet. In a creepy stalker way.
“What do we do about Asher?” I asked, continuing to pick at the patch on my energy. The moment my power was released, I was following that bitch and ripping her to pieces.
Rone’s face was once again awash in hard, angry lines. “Did he say anything to you?”