Enraptured: Immortal Chronicles Book IV Read online

  Pulling himself together, he finally answered, “Now, we get you back to Greece.”

  17

  The mansion was the same. Nothing had changed with the architecture or grounds. Darcie knew it, but that did not mean it did not appear different. Her enriched vision enabled her to see structural marks and details previously unnoticed, but the main difference originated from the somber air surrounding the immense grounds. It permeated the interior of the home as well.

  Part of Darcie wanted to turn back. She did not know if she was ready to face everyone. She was immortal, and Bella was dead. What if they blamed her? After all, the majority of their troubles did not begin until she entered the picture.

  Calm down, she told herself.

  Lome, Thane, and Eshe were her friends. And Des was… Des. They wouldn’t blame her. They were more mature than that.

  “Are you alright?” Gregory asked beside her. He had not let her out of his sight for more than five minutes since they left Brian’s home.

  “Fine.” She moved forward and grasped the large metal door handle. She pushed inward, and the door swung open.

  “Hello?” she called out. Normally, one of the silent servants would have appeared to greet her. But there was no one.

  “Eshe? Lome?” She stepped inside slowly. “Des?”

  No response.

  “Where is everyone?” She looked over her shoulder towards Alex.

  Her friend moved inside, scanning the foyer. “I do not hear anyone on this level.”

  Remembering her own advanced hearing, Darcie strained to pick up any sound in the eerily-quiet house. Like Alex, she did not hear any movement on the first floor. She moved her focus to the second story.

  Still, there was nothing.

  “I’m going to go upstairs,” she told her two companions. Rose had opted to return to Victor’s party once their group decided to return to Greece; she hadn’t wanted to draw attention with her absence.

  Gregory stepped forward to follow Darcie, but she halted him by lifting her hand. “I can manage by myself.”

  The protective vampire opened his mouth to object, but his king cut him off. “Let her go alone, Gregory. Darcie will be fine.”

  She shot Alex a small, appreciative smile. For Gregory, she reached out and reassuringly patted his arm.

  Not wanting to waste another moment, Darcie moved to climb the wide staircase in the center of the entryway. Her fingers trailed over the wood railing as she ascended, marveling at Des’ talent for creating the intricate designs.

  Her feet carried her to the third floor until she stood in front of her old bedroom. With shaking hands, Darcie opened the door.

  The room looked the same. The familiar oak furniture dominated the large bedroom. The pale, purple comforter still covered the large bed, and its four spiral posts still twisted towards the ceiling. Everything was spotless and in its place.

  Darcie entered and ran her hands over various surfaces, marveling at how clean everything appeared. It almost seemed like the room was prepared for a guest. It felt strange to be back in the bedroom. So much had changed since she’d last been there.

  Darcie had gone to search for Adir with a party of witches, vampires and werebeasts, practiced more of her magical abilities, argued with her mother, learned her father was a descendant of Eros, and been kidnapped by Adir… again.

  Not only that, but Darcie had lost Bella, her mortality… and her sense of safety.

  Darcie wiped away her tears and spun around to leave the room. She could not let her thoughts dwell on the negative. Not now. She needed to find her friends. She needed to know they were alright.

  Darcie moved down the familiar hallway until she stood outside Eshe’s bedroom.

  Please be inside.

  Instead of barging in like she wanted, Darcie knocked. Her ears picked up a surprised murmur. Someone moved to the door and turned the latch with caution. She inhaled deeply as Lome answered the door.

  His kind brown eyes widened. His shock turned to awe as he observed her. “Darcie? Is that really you?”

  “It’s me,” she exhaled.

  “By The Creator,” Lome stepped forward and wrapped his toned arms around her. “I had no idea. Darcie, girl. It is good to see you alive and well.”

  Light feet raced towards them. Eshe popped into view. Her mouth fell open as her eyes landed on Darcie. “You are an immortal.”

  “I am.” Leave it to Eshe to not beat around the bush.

  Lome released her so Darcie could face his wife.

  “How?” Eshe asked.

  “Adir convinced an Elder to perform the ceremony. He would’ve forced a bond, too, but the Elder decided to help me escape instead.”

  Her friends stared at her, stunned. “We had no idea,” Lome provided when his wife remained speechless.

  Darcie found the information strange. She knew Alex had told Des of her change. Why hadn’t he told his family?

  She changed the subject. “How are you guys? How are things going here?”

  “As well as one can expect,” Eshe said. “We are all still processing Bella’s… departure.”

  Darcie swallowed. “And Thane?”

  “Hiding in his room. Refusing to talk with anyone about it.”

  “He just needs time,” Lome said after Eshe finished. “I don’t know how I would handle ever losing you.”

  It was a sweet statement, and one that shouldn’t be surprising between husband and wife. But Darcie knew Lome and Eshe did not have a traditional marriage. The pair were together out of necessity; their powers depended on one another. The relationship between them was not romantic, or so Darcie thought.

  As she watched Lome grab Eshe’s hand, she began to question what she believed to be true about the couple.

  “Would it be too much to ask to hear how it happened?” Eshe turned her almond-shaped gaze to her.

  Darcie nearly choked. “You mean, about Bella?”

  Both of her friends nodded. “No one knows the details,” Lome explained. “It is all just rumors. We would like to know the truth about how our sister perished.”

  She looked away from his pleading gaze and willed herself to stay calm. Images of Bella lying still on the floor–Adir’s gloating face standing above her–it all hit her at once.

  Darcie squeezed her eyes closed and told them what happened.

  She revealed Bella was with Adir willingly. She told them how their sister-in-law worked with their family’s enemy, all with the hope of sparing Thane from his own demise. Bella’s intentions might have been misguided, but they were pure.

  Finally, Darcie confessed the part she played in the murder.

  “Bella didn’t know about Adir’s plan to force a bond,” she explained as tears streamed down her face. “She attacked him to try and give me time to e-escape.” Her sobbing made her stop. She worked to catch her breath.

  “And then?” Lome encouraged softly.

  Her heart ached. “And then Adir shot her in the head. She d-died instantly.” The image of bloodshot eyes rolling into the back of Bella’s head would haunt her forever. It was the first time Darcie described the scene.

  When Alex first rescued her, she explained what happened, but he did not ask for details. Without knowing it, she had been blocking the trauma from coming to the surface.

  Now, it was unleashed, and it wreaked havoc on her fragile mind.

  Eshe rushed forward and caught Darcie as her legs wobbled beneath her. They crumbled to the ground together as she sobbed into the immortal’s shoulder. “It’s all my fault,” she wailed. “I made her feel guilty. I pressured her to help me.”

  “Stop,” Eshe urged in a soothing voice. She ran her hand down Darcie’s long hair. “It is no one’s fault but Adir’s. He murdered Bella. You did nothing. She tried to save you because it was the right thing to do. We must honor her last decision.”

  Her words were logical, but Darcie could not stop the tears from falling. They flowed out, unchecked. The day
s of holding in her sorrow were gone. Now, Darcie would grieve.

  Lome knelt down beside them. He placed a strong hand on Darcie’s back but did not say a word.

  The three of them sat like that for minutes. Eshe continued her soothing motion while her husband simply offered his presence for comfort. Slowly, her crying subsided.

  Sniffling, Darcie leaned back and avoided meeting Eshe’s gaze. “Sorry,” she told her.

  The Egyptian beauty reached out and brushed the moisture from her cheek. “You have nothing to be sorry for. I will be here whenever you need a shoulder to cry on.”

  Her vow made Darcie’s lips quiver with emotion. Eshe was too kind. She hadn’t always thought so, but there was no denying the immortal’s compassion. And to think, she had once considered Eshe coldhearted.

  Lome stood and helped both women to their feet. He wrapped an arm around Darcie and gave a gentle squeeze before stepping away. “You should get some rest.”

  “I have to see some people first.” Seeing Lome’s disapproving frown, she added, “But I promise I will rest after.”

  He was not pleased, but after a few seconds of loaded contemplation, he conceded. “Do not overexert yourself,” he commanded. “There is plenty of time for strategy and the like later.”

  Darcie gave him a calm smile. “I will take it easy. I promise.”

  Satisfied, Lome rotated towards his wife, but whatever he was about to say was interrupted by a sharp gasp at the door.

  Whirling around, Darcie braced herself for an unpleasant surprise. What she saw, however, was anything but unpleasant.

  Standing in the hallway, staring into the room, was Jennifer Bane.

  Her mother.

  18

  “Mom?”

  The middle-aged witch hadn’t uttered a sound beyond her initial gasp. Jennifer stared at her daughter like she was seeing a ghost. Her face was too pale.

  “Jennifer?” Eshe questioned. “Are you alright?”

  Finally, her mother snapped out of it. She cleared her throat. “Can we have a moment?”

  Eshe and Lome did not hesitate. After bestowing calm and encouraging smiles, the couple departed from their own private room.

  Darcie watched a single tear escape from the corner of her mother’s eye. “So, the rumors are true.” Her voice was barely above a whisper.

  She did not need to guess what her mother was referring to. Shame filled her. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for this to happen.” Darcie sniffed back her tears. They would do her no good. She was an immortal now, and there was no going back.

  “Oh, Darcie,” her mother’s voice cracked, sending several streaks of water down her cheeks. She walked towards her and wrapped Darcie in an embrace.

  Desperately, Darcie grabbed at her mother’s back.

  “I should’ve protected you,” her mom murmured into her hair. “I shouldn’t have trusted Henry. I should have been there to stop him. Please, forgive me.”

  “Oh, Mom.” Darcie held her tighter. “It’s okay. I’m okay.”

  Jennifer continued to cry. Darcie’s heart was sore. There was too much sadness around her. She wanted nothing more than to brush it all away until those she loved felt better. And yes, her mom was included in that list.

  Despite the perceived betrayal and overbearing nature displayed by Jennifer, Darcie still loved her mother. Her teenage temper might have prevented her from realizing it sooner, but she knew her mother’s actions were done for her benefit. She just wanted to keep her daughter safe.

  They stayed like that for a while. Neither one was in a rush to let go of the other. They had more than ten years of hugs to make up for.

  Finally, Darcie leaned back. “Let’s sit on the couch.”

  Her mom gave a watery smile. They untangled their arms and moved to sit on the elegant couch in the center of Eshe’s room.

  “I need you to tell me what happened,” her mother said. “How was your mortality altered?”

  Without sacrificing any important information, Darcie relayed the story of her abduction and subsequent change into an immortal as quickly as possible. Her mom listened, giving her full attention to her daughter. When she got to the part about Bella’s demise, Jennifer made the sign of the cross over her chest. “God rest her soul.”

  Darcie seconded the sentiment. Bella was a believer in the divine being. She could only hope her friend found contentment on the other side of life.

  “You have been with Alex this whole time?” Jennifer asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Where did you go?”

  “First, we went to Maine,” Darcie revealed. “To see Dad.”

  “Oh?” Her mother tried to sound calm. “And… how is he?”

  “Good. Really good.”

  “That’s good.” Her mother shifted on the cushion. Her hands twisted in her lap, leading Darcie to believe she wanted to ask something more. Whatever it was, she decided against sharing it. “What about after you left Maine?”

  “London,” Darcie answered. “That’s where I met Brian.”

  Jennifer’s eyes widened. “Brian Rothschild?”

  She nodded. “Yup.”

  “What on Earth were you doing with Brian Rothschild?”

  “It’s a long story actually,” Darcie paused to think of the best way to tell the tale. “It started with Rose and Cassandra inviting Alex to Victor’s birthday party.”

  “Wait.” Her mother stopped her by lifting a hand in the air. “Victor? Cassandra? Are you talking about who I think you are talking about?”

  Knowing there was no way around it, Darcie revealed how she was connected with all of the aforementioned vampires. Needless to say, her mother was not happy with the information.

  “Are you telling me,” Jennifer’s tone turned icy, “that Alex allowed my child to be in the company of such diabolical and urge-driven monsters? Where is he?” She jumped up from her seat, ready to search for Alex and give him an earful.

  “It’s not a big deal.” Darcie reached over and tugged on her mother’s arm.

  “It most certainly is a big deal. You have no idea the level of depravity that occurs in Victor’s coven. What was Alex thinking in taking you there?”

  “I was thinking that Darcie can handle more than you give her credit for.” Alex’s tall form filled the doorway. He leaned against the frame, crossing his arms with a lift of his brow. “I heard you wanted to speak with me.”

  Her mother’s anger flung itself across the room. “Victor’s, Alexander. Really? Did you really think that was a good idea?”

  “It needed to be done. Besides,” he threw Darcie a proud glance. “Thanks to your daughter, we ended up finding what we were looking for.”

  “Oh, and what was that?”

  “The Veritas.”

  The color drained from Jennifer’s face. “The Veritas? B-but how?”

  “Lord Brian,” Darcie spoke up. “He had it.”

  “How?” she asked again.

  “Um…” Darcie looked at Alex for assistance. He waved his hand, telling her to reveal the truth. “Well, he took me from the party to his house… to ask me some questions.” She relayed what happened afterwards, being sure to minimize the fact that she had originally been abducted by the vampire, and that Brian had lured her into trusting him using only his good-looks and flirtation. Her mom was not fooled.

  “So, you were kidnapped. Again? Jesus, Alex, what were you doing?”

  “Searching for the book.”

  “Then who was with Darcie?”

  “Gregory.”

  Her mother threw her hands in the air. “I give up, Alex. You took my daughter to a gathering of vampires, and she was taken. If you do not see the problem here, then I am wasting my breath.”

  “You forget, Jennifer, you were once rather popular amongst the vampires in question.” Alex’s statement seemed to take the wind out of her mother’s sails.

  “That is different.”

  “Really?” Alex faked confusion. “
Do explain.”

  Her mom’s gaze alternated between the vampire and her daughter. “I was there with a purpose. I fought for covens’ equal treatment by the rest of the half-breed community. The work made me well known, but I was not on such familiar terms to think I should not use caution when I was around them.”

  “Indeed.” Alex’s tone conveyed his skepticism and perhaps more.

  “Enough,” Jennifer said, her face turning to stone. She moved her attention to Darcie. “Brian gave you the book. Where is it now?”

  “I have it,” Alex said, pushing back his traveling cloak to remove the item from his side. He held the ancient text out for her mother to take.

  “I cannot believe it.” Slowly, Jennifer reached out and trailed her fingers across the book’s edge. Pulling back her hand, she said, “Why would you search for The Veritas? I asked Brian to hide it for a reason.”

  “Alex thought it might help me with my powers.”

  Tension mounted in her mother’s shoulders. Her head whipped to her longtime friend. “Has she tried to handle it yet?”

  “Of course not,” he replied, sounding almost insulted. “I am not careless, Jennifer. No matter what you might believe.”

  Her mother scoffed. Then, she turned to Darcie. “Promise me you will not seek guidance from this book until I say it is safe. I need to ensure there are no traps within its pages.”

  Darcie was beyond questioning her mother. At least, not in areas where she was obviously the expert. “I promise.”

  Her mother’s shoulders dropped in relief. “I will go speak with Lola right away. She is more knowledgeable about handling The Veritas than I.”

  Before she moved away, Jennifer reached out and lightly held Darcie’s shoulder. “I’m glad you are safe.”

  Darcie smiled and lifted her hand to touch her mom’s fingers. “Me too, Mom.”

  Jennifer’s eyes landed on Darcie’s wrist, and her mouth dropped. “Where did you get that bracelet?”

  Darcie blinked and looked down. She observed the silver bracelet with its unique blue-green stone. “Dad gave it to me. For my birthday.”

  “Of course,” her mother whispered. Her eyes adopted a far-off look. “I forgot all about that.”