Enraptured: Immortal Chronicles Book IV Read online

  “Good.” He did not hide his happiness.

  She paused, biting her lower lip. “Can I ask something, though?”

  He waved a hand towards her. “Please.”

  She released a long breath. “Are you absolutely sure we haven’t met? I-I have the weirdest feelings about you. It’s driving me crazy.”

  Des groaned inwardly. He really did not want to lie to her. He decided he would work with half-truths. “I feel the same way.”

  “Really?”

  “Really,” he confirmed. “It’s why I spoke with you in the National Garden. I believed you were familiar.”

  “That’s so weird,” Darcie commented, more to herself than him.

  Still, Des agreed. “Yes. Very strange indeed.”

  Darcie’s blue eyes resumed their perusal. “Well… I’m glad I met you. It was nice to have a local tour guide.”

  Des picked up his glass and lifted it towards her. Darcie copied his movement. “To meeting strangers,” he toasted.

  “To new friends,” she added before clinking her glass against his. She took a small sip, then placed the drink back on the table.

  Their conversation was light. Darcie must have decided to not read too much into their obvious connection. Des continued to be charmed by her humor, kindness, and intelligence. She was everything he could have ever imagined his soulmate to be.

  Though there were obvious similarities to his past loves, it was clear Darcie was one of a kind. She had insights and opinions which shocked and awed him. He knew how easy it would be to fall in love with her. He suspected he might already be well on the way.

  Darcie had just finished relaying an amusing story about her childhood friend, Marie, and the poorly executed prank they attempted to play on her older brother when Des felt a tingling sensation on the back of his neck.

  Looking around, his gaze traveled over the numerous people walking below. He was about to turn away when familiar hazel eyes and chestnut hair caught his attention.

  Thane stood below the restaurant, gazing up with a gaping mouth. Des followed his attention, and his heart nearly stopped when he realized Thane’s focus rested on Darcie.

  He recognizes her.

  Without wasting another moment, Des reached over and covered Darcie’s hand with his. She jumped at the sudden contact but did not pull back.

  “Des?”

  He pushed past his heartache, locking her beautiful blue eyes with his green ones. “Darcie, you did not meet me. Today, you visited the National Garden and the Parthenon alone. I am going to leave, and you will go back to where you and your father are staying. Do you understand?”

  Des watched her eyes glaze over, and he hated himself for it. He had hoped to leave her without the need to alter her mind. He had wanted to know Darcie might at least think of him from time to time as she lived out her life, but now that Thane had seen her, he could not risk it. Her ignorance was the only thing that might keep her safe.

  “Darcie,” he repeated when she remained silent. “Do you understand?”

  “Yes.” She rose from her seat and turned away without a word. His manipulation had worked. He watched her walk away, taking the better half of his soul with him. It was painful, but he didn’t have a choice. He’d been stupid and selfish to indulge in his desire to spend time with her. He should have left at the Parthenon.

  Now, he needed to deal with Thane, and ensure his brother did not make any assumptions over what he just witnessed. He turned back to the immortal.

  Dread filled his gut. Based on the older brother’s knowing expression, Des worried it might be too late.

  3

  “There you are.” Des heard Lome’s greeting, followed by his trek through the tall grass leading up to the pond.

  “Here I am,” he replied. His mood was dampened by his memories and the guilt of being the reason behind all of Darcie’s recent troubles. If he would have just walked away from her at the National Garden, everything could have been avoided. The knowledge had plagued him every night since Thane managed to find Darcie in Maine. It was all his fault, and Darcie had no idea.

  “Eshe is worried,” Lome said, plopping down on the bank beside his older brother. “She thinks you wallow too much.”

  “She is probably right.” Of all of his family members, Des considered his sister-in-law the most level-headed and reasonable. The traits made her a good confidant, and as such, Eshe knew more about Des’ thoughts and emotions than anyone else. Such knowledge would give her good cause to worry.

  “It does no good to blame yourself.”

  Des exhaled. He stared at a green leaf floating on the water. “I know.” The time for self-loathing had passed. He needed to focus on the present, and how to help Darcie. He owed her that much.

  “Have you heard anything from Alexander?” Lome asked.

  Des reached out and pulled up a long piece of grass. He wound it through his fingers. “Not yet. I expect he is waiting to ensure their location is secure before contacting me.”

  “I am sure he will call the moment it is safe to do so. If something happened to Darcie, we would have heard about it by now.”

  Des nodded, doing his best to hide how painful the thought was to him. “I agree, but I wish I was with her to see for myself.”

  “I understand,” his brother replied. “But it is not worth the risk. We do not know if Adir is watching us,” he shared Des’ earlier concern.

  “I know.”

  Companionable quiet settled between them. Lome leaned back and laid on the soft grass, content to sit next to his troubled brother. Des’ mind continued to wander, but his thoughts were not as negative as they had been before Lome’s arrival.

  Des contemplated where Alexander might have taken Darcie. His first thought was his own home, but Des quickly dismissed the idea. It would be too obvious. If Adir had even an inkling to suspect his offspring of hiding Darcie, that would be the first place he would look.

  A small bird flew across his vision, landing in a tree on the side of the pond. Des watched it flit across the branches with ease. Its feathers were a metallic blue, and they shimmered in the sunlight.

  “Bella would have wanted to catch that bird,” Lome spoke softly. The immortal referenced their sister-in-law and her stint of fascination with the avian species.

  Des snorted. “We would have to rebuild her enclosure.” Both men chuckled. A few decades ago, Bella had become enthralled with having birds as pets. She loved to admire their pretty feathers and teach the more intelligent species words and phrases. It became one of her many hobbies, but once the first generation began to perish, she realized she did not want to keep pets. The pain of knowing she would always outlive them diminished their appeal.

  Des’ dropped his shoulders. He still could not believe she was gone. “Has Thane agreed to the memorial?”

  Lome exhaled. “I believe he has finally given Eshe permission to arrange it. It should be in a few days if Thane does not change his mind.” The eldest brother had been resistant to the idea of publicly acknowledging his wife’s death, but time had worn him down.

  “Good,” Des replied. “It needs to be done. We will not be able to move forward otherwise.”

  “I know you are right, but it still feels strange.”

  Des understood the sentiment. While he knew the family needed closure on Bella’s departure from the world, he still struggled to believe he would never see her again. She’d been a part of their family for centuries, and things would never be the same without her.

  “Thane remains shut in his rooms,” Lome added. His tone was full of worry. “The Alliance leaders are beginning to wonder if they should elect a new immortal to take his place.”

  Des turned and looked at Lome with disbelief. “It’s only been a few days.”

  “I know.” Lome pushed himself off the ground and sat up. “But The Alliance fears Adir and what he might do in retaliation. We cannot afford to be unprepared.”

  “Thane just needs
time,” Des replied knowingly. It was unreasonable to expect Thane to bounce back so soon after losing his wife. It was a tragedy he had never anticipated, and no one knew what he would need to overcome the loss.

  “I cannot believe Adir went so far,” Lome murmured.

  “I can.” Des always knew his conflict-driven sibling was selfish and power hungry. He had been since the start of their immortal lives. Adir would do anything to gain the upper hand in the rebellion, even if that meant murdering a fellow immortal.

  Neither brother spoke for some time. Both were caught up in their own thoughts, simultaneously wondering how their lives had taken such a turn. The past few months were full of conflict and frustration, and all Des wanted was for the situation to end. He wanted Adir dealt with. Then, he and Darcie could finally figure out what their future had in store.

  That impending conversation was the only glimmer of light in the dark tunnel caused by the rebellion.

  “You know everyone will be recommending you take over Thane’s positions,” Lome finally said aloud. It wasn’t surprising. Des anticipated some might suggest such a thing, but he hadn’t figured out what he would do when the subject was brought up.

  “I cannot replace Thane.” It was true.

  Thane was the political brother. He knew how to appease the masses while also keeping control of the tenuous situations among the immortal population. Some considered Des’ strength a good indicator of his ability to lead, but they were wrong. Thane was the one born to be a leader.

  Lome, thankfully, did not press the subject. He scratched his jaw then shook his head. “So, what do we do now?”

  Des looked back at the rippling pond. “We regroup. The Alliance is right to want to make a plan.”

  Lome bobbed his head in agreement. “And Darcie? Should we try to find her?”

  “No,” his reply was firm. “We wait to hear back from Alexander. Then, we figure out where to go from there.”

  4

  Darcie

  Darcie couldn’t sleep. She felt exhausted, but every time she tried to close her eyes, the image of Bella’s body filled her mind. The sight of her dead friend would be forever seared behind her eyelids, and the acknowledgement caused a fresh wave of tears to spring up in her eyes.

  I can’t believe she’s gone.

  Quickly, she brushed away the revealing moisture. Alex was worried enough as it was, she did not want him to see her crying again. She wasn’t sure she could handle any more of his attentive comfort.

  Once composed, Darcie turned away from the side of the plane and faced forward. Extending her legs and lifting her arms, she stretched out her stiff limbs and back. Glancing to her left, she noticed Alex appeared comfortable in the first-class seats on the cross-Atlantic flight. They’d been on the plane for hours, and she was eager for it to end, but the vampire did not seem bothered in the slightest. She decided to leave him alone; one of them should get some sleep.

  Just as she decided to try and watch a movie on the screen in front of her, Darcie heard Alex’s breathing pattern change. She looked back at him and realized he was no longer asleep although his eyes remained closed.

  She inhaled deeply and moved her head from side to side, feeling disoriented. Her enhanced hearing took some getting used to. “I know you are awake.”

  Alex cracked one eye open. “Thanks to you and your constant movement. You need to sleep.”

  “I can’t.” Darcie clicked through the movie options using the remote on her armrest. “It’s too loud in here.” It was a lie, but Alex did not question it.

  He turned his wrist to look at the time. “We still have two hours until we land.”

  “Plenty of time for a movie,” she replied, selecting the latest romantic comedy. She put in the earbuds Alex purchased for her and tried to distract herself with the cheesy film.

  Unfortunately, her half-hearted attempt did not work. Darcie gave up and stopped the movie within five minutes. She pulled out the earbuds and handed them back to Alex. He took them without a word.

  Darcie knew he was handling her with caution. Alex had been overly obliging and patient ever since they boarded the flight in Rome; it was like he expected her to break down at any moment. He had no idea how often Darcie had to fight off the debilitating emotions.

  “Will you tell me where we are going?” After Alex found her running from Adir’s home in Italy, he immediately transported her to the airport in Rome. Darcie was too disoriented from her recent transition to immortality to question their actions. Now, though, she wanted to know the plan.

  Alex’s clear blue eyes observed her, debating whether or not to tell her. She resisted the urge to object to his hesitation. It would not convince him of her stability.

  Finally, he said, “We are going to Brunswick.”

  “Maine?” She was shocked. It was the last place she thought he would say. “Why?”

  “Once Adir realizes you are gone, he will begin searching for you. He doesn’t know where in Maine you are from, but even if he did, it would be the last place he’d expect The Alliance to take you.”

  The logic was sound, but Darcie still could not believe Alex was taking her back to Brunswick. She looked out the window and observed the clear sky. “I never thought I would go back,” she admitted.

  After continually being dragged into the immortals’ world and being changed into an immortal, Darcie had given up hope of ever returning to her old life. She couldn’t believe Adir was winning–that he actually went through with changing her mortality. She shuddered to think what might have happened if he had fulfilled his goal of bonding with her too.

  Alex cleared his throat. “We will only be there for a few days. We need down time to avoid Adir’s search and get a plan together.”

  “I thought you had a plan.” Darcie rotated to look at him. “What happened to getting my powers under control and making Adir pay?” Those were the words Alex uttered moments before transporting her away from Adir’s Italian home. They ignited Darcie with resolve. The desire for revenge fueled her, and she was eager to follow through.

  Alex watched her. His eyes were wary. His concern was obvious, but whatever he saw in her expression shoved his worries aside. He grabbed her hand and brought the icy fingers to his lips. His lips pressed lightly against her knuckles before he lowered her hand.

  “Soon enough, Darcie. Adir will pay... I promise.”

  * * *

  Hours later, the plane touched down at Logan International Airport. Once they disembarked, Darcie had to resist the urge to cover her ears against the onslaught of sounds. Boston had an incredibly busy airport, and the crowds of people holding numerous conversations threatened to cause a migraine.

  Appearing aware of her every feeling and need, Alex placed a hand on the small of her back and efficiently escorted her through the terminal to the rental car counters. He left her on a stone bench while he arranged for a rental vehicle.

  As they were descending into Boston, Alex had informed Darcie that the bustling city was the nearest he could get them to Maine on such short notice. They would need to make the rest of the trip in a car. Darcie had only nodded. While she was not looking forward to a two-hour drive after the long flight, she understood it was their only option.

  Alex came back with a set of keys. The pair walked down the aisles in the parking garage until they found their assigned rental car. Sliding into the passenger’s seat, Darcie leaned against the headrest with her eyes closed. She crossed her arms, shivering from the cold. It might almost be spring, but the Northeastern weather was still frigid. She felt the turns as Alex drove out of the garage. Trusting him not to crash, Darcie willed herself to relax for the drive.

  The car’s tires picked up speed, and the sound of rubber hitting pavement began to increase until it was roaring in her ears. Darcie groaned and leaned forward to put her head in her hands. She breathed through the nauseating pain.

  “You get used to it,” Alex spoke softly.

  Daring
to risk a glance and exacerbate her pain, she peered at him from the corner of her eye.

  His face was pinched. “I wish I could help you.”

  She closed her eyes again. “I’ll be okay.”

  “I know, but I wish I could help all the same.”

  She jerked her head slightly, and immediately regretted the move. “Thanks, Alex.”

  Neither spoke after that. Alex continued to smoothly maneuver them on Interstate 95, and Darcie resumed her silent meditation to work through her discomfort. Eventually, the assaulting noises began to diminish as her senses adjusted.

  With relief, she was finally able to open her eyes and observe the surroundings. She blinked, surprised to see they already crossed the Maine state line and were passing through Portland.

  “Home sweet home,” she murmured, sad to realize that she no longer thought of the state that way. Her eyes observed the familiar scenery, recognizing a few new buildings from the last time she’d visited. Immediately, she pushed the memory of the attack in Portland from her mind.

  Forty minutes later, the “Welcome to Brunswick” sign came into view. She gave Alex directions to her house. With both her and her father away for weeks, checking on the empty home seemed like a good idea.

  As they took the final turn into the neighborhood, Darcie asked a question that had been on her mind for a while. “Have you spoken with Des? Does he know about… what happened to me?”

  Alex’s attention remained on the road. “No. I haven’t been able to call him yet.

  “Why not?” Surely, the entire immortal family would want to know she was safe. It seemed cruel not to call.

  “I left my phone in Europe,” he revealed. “I did not want to risk Adir tracing my location. I highly suspect he will realize I was involved in your rescue and, thereby, The Alliance.”

  Darcie gripped the door handle. “I thought you said we’d be safe here.” The flash of Adir’s red bolt crossed her eyes. The rebel immortal was a murderer. It was terrifying to think he might be able to find her. There was no telling what the unstable immortal would do next.