Enraptured: Immortal Chronicles Book IV Read online

  “Forgot about what?”

  Her mother’s lips lifted. “Before I left, I told your dad I wanted you to have that bracelet on your eighteenth birthday. It is laced with a protective spell which would trigger your father to be diligent about any dangers around you. I figured you would be leaving home, and I thought it would be a good way to protect you from danger even if you didn’t know about it.”

  “That explains why John was so reluctant to let you leave,” Alex told Darcie. She recalled how upset her father had initially been regarding her return to Europe.

  Darcie stared at her mother, dumbfounded. Jennifer, however, still looked lost in her own thoughts. “I can’t believe he remembered to give it to you.”

  “I’m not,” Darcie told her. “He hasn’t forgotten you.” She doubted he ever would.

  Her mother’s smile fell. “Right.” She shook her head. “I should go find Lola. Excuse me.”

  Both she and Alex watched her mother’s departure. Once Darcie was sure she was out of hearing range, she turned to Alex, “Did you recognize the bracelet?” She remembered his odd behavior after she received the gift.

  “Yes,” he admitted. “I gave it to Jennifer on her own eighteenth birthday. I was surprised to see it again.”

  Darcie exhaled. She didn’t want to dive into her mother’s complicated past. She switched topics. “So, The Veritas is dangerous?”

  “Rumors say it is.”

  “Mom mentioned traps. Was she talking about spells protecting the book?”

  Alex’s gaze was approving. “Very good, Darcie. Yes, your mother is worried about the ancient spells rigged in the book. Stories say the witches and warlocks who composed the book built in various traps to keep its knowledge from falling into the wrong hands.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me that?”

  “Because it changed nothing about our mission.”

  “Yeah,” she acknowledged. “But what if I had tried to open it or something?”

  “Why would you have opened it?”

  “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe to read it?” She could not believe Alex didn’t see the problem. He met her stare with an even expression.

  Knowing an argument would be pointless, Darcie just sighed and said, “Next time I am handling a cursed object, just do me a favor and give me heads up, please.”

  “A head’s up?”

  “A warning,” she explained the phrase. When she looked at his face though, she saw he was teasing.

  “Ugh,” she pushed his arm. “You are so annoying.”

  Alex laughed. “Relax. Your mother worries more than most because you are her child, but I promise to not put you in harm’s way. I’m too fond of you to risk turning you into a statue.”

  She rolled her eyes but smiled. “Thanks. I guess I’m fond of you too.”

  His eyes shined, as did his smile. “Come,” he said. “You should rest. There are many people who wish to speak to you, but I have convinced them to wait until tomorrow.”

  Now that he mentioned it, Darcie could use some sleep, but there was still one person she couldn’t wait to see.

  “You go ahead,” she told him. “I’ll find my way back in a minute.”

  At first, Alex looked ready to object but he thought better of it. He nodded. “Alright. But be sure to rest. I am not joking when I say you have busy days ahead.”

  “Okay,” she agreed.

  Darcie followed Alex into the hallway. Instead of following him to the left, she turned right. Her pulse began to race as she neared Des’ bedroom door. She had wondered why he did not seek her out upon her arrival. The only excuse she came up with was he was asleep.

  Darcie arrived outside the wide oak door. Hands shaking, she reached up and knocked softly.

  No answer.

  If he really was asleep, Darcie suspected he could not hear the quiet sound. So, with a steadying breath, she pressed the handle and pushed the door inward.

  The room was quiet and dark. Her eyes adjusted to the dim lighting almost immediately. As she scanned the room, confusion and worry filled her chest.

  The room was clean–too clean. Darcie remembered the few times she had been in Des’ bedroom. He always had piles of paper, most of them field reports, scattered on top of the table and all available chairs. Now, she could not see a scrap of paper anywhere in the room.

  Des isn’t here.

  19

  Needless to say, Darcie was disappointed to learn Des was away from the mansion. Lome had not been specific when he shared the information, but she knew his absence had to do with a lead on Adir’s location.

  Des’ determination to find the immortal received a surge of energy following her abduction, but had since increased even further. Lome commented the change occurred after a phone conversation between Des and Alex. Darcie only needed one guess to know what Des must have learned to increase his motivation to find Adir; Alex had told him of her immortality.

  What she did not know, was why he kept her change in mortality to himself? Neither Eshe or Lome had known, and her mom had only heard rumors. Why didn’t Des tell them the moment he knew?

  The insecure part of Darcie’s brain worked to create many explanations, all of which centered around Des being disappointed by her change in mortality.

  Now that she was immortal, there were no longer reasons to push her away. Des could no longer delay discussing their future.

  What if he resented the fact?

  What if he felt trapped?

  Stop it. Darcie willed her thoughts under her control. Des was not so petty. She knew he had a good reason for keeping her change a secret. All she needed to do was ask him. He would explain.

  Darcie resigned herself to be patient. Glancing at the clock, she quickly changed into athletic shorts and a t-shirt and exited her bedroom. She was on her way to the back fields to train, but she decided to take a detour to the art gallery located on the first floor. Since she was already late, she had no problem delaying the impending lecture for a little while longer.

  As soon as she stepped into the room, memories of the first time she’d been there flooded her mind. Bella had been so kind during Darcie’s first weeks at the mansion. The immortal went out of her way to keep her busy. One of the first places Bella took her was the gallery.

  Darcie wiped away a stray tear. She walked through the long room, glimpsing some of her favorite pieces as she passed. Too soon, she was at the other set of wide double doors. She went through them and made her way to the back terrace.

  Crossing the immense lawn, Darcie shielded her eyes from the sun and spotted her mother and Mistress Lola. They were deep in conversation and remained oblivious to her arrival until she was practically right in front of them.

  “Darcie!” Mistress Lola was the first to greet her. She stepped forward and gathered her in a hug. “It is good to see you looking well, child.”

  Mistress Lola was a member of the Nightsbane Clan, a collective group of powerful witches and warlocks. Darcie’s mother, Jennifer Bane, was also a member. Lola and Jennifer were the two clan representatives chosen to accompany Darcie’s search party.

  In addition to assisting the group with tracking Adir’s location, they were also charged with helping Darcie develop control over her witch abilities.

  The task mainly fell to Mistress Lola, who had taken Darcie’s consistent failure and subsequent outbursts with the utmost patience. Darcie returned the witch’s embrace. Mistress Lola was a wonderful woman.

  “It is good to see you, too.” Darcie stepped back and smiled. She was glad to see the witch was unharmed from the surprise attack in Florida.

  “You’re late,” her mother interrupted the reunion. “We’ve been waiting for over half an hour.”

  “Sorry.” Darcie didn’t not try come up with an excuse.

  “As you should be.” Her mother looked ready to continue, but the lecture was interrupted with another arrival.

  “It is a beautiful day,” Eshe said as she finished her a
pproach to their small group. “Do you mind if I join and watch?”

  Both Jennifer and Lola shared a hesitant look.

  “I already told Eshe about the book,” Darcie said.

  Following Lome’s explanation of Des’ absence, Darcie had taken the opportunity to fill both of her friends in on what all transpired since she left the Grecian mansion. Neither of them had heard of The Veritas, but they were unsurprised. Apparently, there were many things half-breed and lesser immortals concealed from the Originals.

  Her mother crossed her arms; she was not pleased with the news.

  After another moment holding Darcie with her stare, Jennifer turned her focus to Eshe. Tipping her head forward with respect, she said, “I trust the book’s identity is safe with you. It would be a shame to lose the upper hand if anyone should know we possess The Veritas.”

  Darcie knew her mother was a confident woman, but the statement she just made was bold and borderline rude. Her mom might be one of the most powerful witches, but she was no match for an immortal. Especially, not for one of the brother’ soulmates. Eshe and her husband shared the same vast power the rebellion coveted.

  Eshe, however, gave no indication she was offended. “Of course.”

  Mistress Lola cleared her throat. “Well, shall we begin?”

  At last, Darcie was resuming her magical training. She’d been eagerly awaiting the moment to try and use her witch gifts now that she was an immortal. Surely, the change would give her a better shot at controlling her unpredictable powers. So far, she only managed to use them in moments of desperation.

  Lola relayed instructions. They would begin by utilizing Darcie’s enhanced senses and speed to dodge incoming attacks. Darcie was surprised her trainer wanted to start with the immortal abilities, but she did not question her. She trusted Lola.

  Positioned across the field, Darcie began to dip, dive, and roll out of the way as fiery balls of magic flew towards her. It was crazy; time actually seemed to slow down as she focused on the moving orbs. The moment they left Lola’s hands, Darcie had a clear view of their path and avoided their collision with ease. Eventually, Lola tired and her mother took over.

  Jennifer’s shots came at a quicker pace and with increased speed, but they were no match for Darcie’s enhanced vision and timing. Not one shot landed on her.

  “Enough.” Lola called loudly. Her mother lowered her arms. At the same time, Darcie collapsed to the ground. She hadn’t realized how much energy she expended by dodging the attacks. She worked to catch her breath, staring at the clear blue sky, wondering how long they had been training.

  Shadows fell over her face. Blinking, she turned and met her mother’s solemn gaze. “You really are an immortal.”

  Words caught in Darcie’s throat. She did not know what to say.

  Eshe moved forward and reached out to help her stand, interrupting the tense moment. “That was impressive.”

  “Thanks.” Darcie took her strong palm and allowed herself to be pulled up. She turned to Lola. “Magic powers now?”

  “That was magic.”

  Darcie tilted her head. “I meant my witch abilities.”

  “My dear,” Lola smiled gently. “Witch abilities come from immortal powers, as do all of the half-breed’s gifts. Now that you are an immortal, mastering control over your immortality will carve the path to mastering the powers that come from your mother’s bloodline.”

  Darcie had not thought about it before, but she realized Lola was right. All magical abilities stemmed from an immortal’s powers. Charmian, being the mother of witches and warlocks, possessed all of the strength and power as her children. Darcie had not realized she would share the same powers.

  “Practicing my immortal gifts will help with the magic?”

  Lola and her mother nodded.

  “And you are already off to a great start,” Eshe commented approvingly. “I was not able to react so quickly until I trained for months.”

  Warmth filled her chest. Darcie realized it was pride. She’d struggled for so long to master any of her abilities; it was nice to finally be good at something.

  “When will I start using The Veritas?”

  “Soon, but not yet,” her mother answered. “Lola and I both agree it would be too dangerous to handle without giving yourself time to adjust.”

  Darcie frowned. “Adjust to what?”

  Jennifer paused, then said, “Your immortality.” Again, sorrow flashed across her mother’s expression.

  Darcie was ready to object, but stopped when she noticed her mother’s reaction. Jennifer was unhappy about her daughter’s change into an immortal, and Darcie couldn’t blame her.

  “Alright.”

  “Alright?” Shock illuminated her mother’s eyes.

  Darcie shrugged. “Sure. I can wait a couple of days. In the meantime, I’ll practice being an immortal with Eshe.” She looked at the Egyptian beauty. “Is that okay?”

  “I’d be honored to help,” Eshe replied.

  Darcie couldn’t help but feel optimistic. Soon, she’d have her immortal powers and magical abilities under control. She’d be ready to help take on Adir before she knew it.

  20

  As it turned out, gaining complete control over brand new immortal abilities proved difficult. Darcie thought her impressive show with her vision and speed meant the rest would come easy, but she was horribly wrong.

  Eshe’s hips swayed as she walked towards Darcie. She frowned down at her. “My apologies. I thought you would be able to deflect it that time.”

  Darcie groaned, sitting up to rub a tender spot on her head. “Yeah. Me too.”

  It was the following morning, and the two had been practicing basic deflection techniques. The training was nothing new to Darcie; she had attempted the same thing with Lola with mild success.

  When the two immortals first began working, Darcie had no trouble manifesting an orb of energy holding her immortal powers. She marveled at the bright white color, finally noticing it was nearly the same shade as Des’ power. But as Darcie tried to increase its size or move it any direction, the orb would flicker out like a busted lightbulb. Eshe hadn’t been worried, stating all Darcie needed was practice.

  Now, Eshe seemed to change her tune. “Perhaps we should try something else. Let’s take a break while I try to think of something.”

  “No.” Darcie stood with determination. “I can do this. Let’s try again.”

  Her friend’s face twisted with skepticism, but she ultimately agreed. Walking back to the other side of their makeshift arena, Eshe fell into a battle stance. Fifty feet away, Darcie did the same.

  Using her improved vision, she zeroed in on Eshe, looking for an indication of her next move. The immortal used the back of her tan hand to brush ebony strands out of her face. She watched Darcie with equal focus. Her fingers flexed as she contemplated the strategy of her attack.

  One second passed.

  Then two.

  Finally, Darcie watched Eshe breathe in a lungful. When she exhaled, a green whip left her palm and moved through the air in a wave-like motion. It was the first time Darcie had seen power manifest itself in something other than an orb or bolt. She let the new shape distract her.

  “BLOCK!”

  Barely heeding the warning with enough time, Darcie’s forearm shot up and took the brunt of the attack. The thin end of the whip-like power managed to extend forward and slice against her right cheek as she fell.

  “Darcie!” Footsteps ran towards her.

  She sat up before Eshe reached her, hissing from the pain. “I’m fine.”

  “You are not fine. Let me see your arm.”

  Knowing there was no point in arguing, Darcie held up her lacerated forearm, gritting her teeth to contain her cry of agony.

  Eshe grimaced. “I’ll go get Healer Mark.” Before she could object, Eshe blinked out of sight. No doubt, she was already sending half of the house on the hunt for the Healer.

  Darcie flopped back onto the g
rass to await their return. Holding onto her injured arm’s wrist, she rested the torn skin against her stomach. She’d been stupid to let herself be so easily distracted. There was no excuse. Even if she was too tired or surprised to block the whip, she should have been able to at least move out of the attack’s path.

  Soft footfalls reached her ears. Curious, Darcie rotated her neck to the left. Her eyes widened. “Paige?”

  The pretty teenager waved from several feet away. “Hey, you.” She continued her approach. “Long time no see.”

  “What are you doing here?” Darcie thought about trying to get up, but she decided against it. It would be best if she didn’t keep moving her injury.

  “Oh, you know, just working with The Alliance to plot the death of the most maniacal villain in our history. In other words, your typical Wednesday.”

  Darcie chuckled but immediately regretted the action. The laugh caused her arm to rub against her shirt, irritating the wound.

  Paige had approached from the left, unable to see the slashed forearm. Her cheeks paled when she was finally close enough to notice. “Oh my god. Stay here. I’ll get help.” She turned to run back the way she came.

  “No,” Darcie told her. “It’s alright. Eshe is already getting the healer.”

  Paige hesitated, but eventually conceded. She lowered herself to the ground beside Darcie’s head. “I saw Eshe’s power hit you, but I had no idea it would be that bad.”

  “You were watching?”

  Paige nodded. “A lot of The Alliance was,” she admitted. She pointed to the wide bay windows facing the field. The sun’s glare prevented Darcie from seeing inside, but she swore she could feel numerous gazes locked onto her.

  Darcie groaned. Perfect. The last thing she needed was members of The Alliance to see her continually fail at using her abilities. That would hardly gain anyone’s vote of confidence.

  Paige’s eyes focused on the slashed arm. “Shouldn’t that be healing or something?” she asked. “I figured immortals couldn’t bleed.” She said the word casually, but Darcie did not miss the flicker of wariness cross her friend’s gaze. Paige knew about Darcie’s change to immortality.