Enraptured: Immortal Chronicles Book IV Page 5

  Immediately, she released a disbelieving scoff. Wasn’t that the same thing Des said when they discussed their relationship? It had irritated her to no end, and now she was using the same excuse. She could not ignore the irony.

  Darcie rolled onto her side, staring at the budding tree outside of her window. Even in the dark, she could make out the developing green leaves.

  Closing her eyes, two tears slipped past the corner of her eye and landed on her pillow.

  Nothing will ever be the same again.

  6

  Des

  The morning after his conversation with Lome, Des received a notice informing him of an emergency meeting of The Alliance. The note indicated it would take place that afternoon at the Grecian mansion. Apparently, every leader would be attending.

  Des dropped the paper on his oak desk and rubbed his eyes. He was exhausted. He had yet to hear from Alex, and the wait was beginning to take its toll. Anytime his phone buzzed, his pulse would spike. He’d quickly retrieve the device only to realize the call or message was not from the vampire king. He had not slept a wink ever since Darcie had been taken, and he doubted he would until he knew, without a doubt, she was safe.

  Please, let me know soon.

  Despite the distress, Des continued with his days and fulfilled his responsibilities. He reached out to the various search parties he’d deployed. Their mission remained the same; they were charged to locate Adir to facilitate the end of the rebellion.

  One group had already searched the Italian premises Gregory had described as his prison, but Adir had expected them to come. He and all of his associates were gone before the search parties arrived.

  Des had just finished contacting one of his North American groups when a light knock reached his ears. Hanging up the phone, he turned in his seat and watched the door to his room open.

  “Eshe,” he greeted as his sister-in-law stepped through the doorway.

  She dipped her head. “I came to retrieve you for the meeting.”

  Glancing at the time, Des was surprised to see it was already mid-afternoon. He’d been preoccupied coordinating regions for different parties to search.

  “Of course.” He stood and stretched his back before turning to follow Eshe to the meeting.

  The ballroom was crowded. Numerous lesser immortals and half-breed offspring filled the space, pressing against one another to get a better view of the front of the room. It was madness. Anxiety and tension filled the air, threatening to suffocate him.

  As Eshe and Des walked through the room, the voices around them died down. He ignored the reaction and the subsequent whispers.

  Rumors were running wild about the recent events. Des was forced to bite his cheek to keep himself from commenting on the allegation that Darcie had jilted him for Adir. The leaders would need to address the subject to the masses, but Des knew they needed to be cautious with what they shared. Who knew if there was another traitor in their midst?

  The two immortals crossed the entire ballroom and walked into the antechamber. The room was smaller and more private. Des observed his siblings and the half-breed leaders already seated at the table… aside from Faine.

  Lome stood and pulled back a chair for his wife. Des sat beside the couple at the head of the table. Together, the trio portrayed a united front. Thane sat beside Eshe, but it was obvious his head was somewhere far away. He stared at the table in front of him without blinking.

  Des sighed, dismayed to see his brother had yet to begin recovering from his loss. He hadn’t tried to talk to the grieving immortal since the day Bella died, but he should have. Des decided to fix that fact once the meeting was over.

  “Shall we begin?” Master Ben, the leader of one of the most powerful covens, rose from his chair.

  Des realized the room waited for his response. He gestured towards the warlock. “Please do.”

  With a tilt of his head, Master Ben cleared his throat. “The first item we would like to discuss is Lady Faine’s alleged involvement in the rebellion. Numerous sources are confirming she was present in Adir’s Italian villa. They each claim Lady Faine witnessed Darcie’s arrival.”

  It wasn’t news to Des, he had received the same report as the warlock, but the information still angered him. Of all his siblings, Des had not suspected the musical Original capable of such treachery.

  “The allegations are pure nonsense,” Charmian said. She was the closest to Faine.

  “I understand your desire to defend Lady Faine,” the warlock addressed his magical ancestor with respect. “However, the reports are unanimous. Not a single person denied seeing Faine among Adir and his allies.”

  “She could have been checking on the girl,” Charmian stated. “There is no evidence that her presence indicated involvement in the kidnapping or any of the rebellion’s actions.”

  “Well, it hardly portrays innocence,” Lome said. “If she knew Darcie was kidnapped and where she was taken, why did she not tell The Alliance?”

  Charmian had nothing to say to that. She threw a strand of auburn hair over her shoulder. “It does not prove anything.”

  “No,” Des finally spoke, but not before he released a tired sigh. “Nothing has proven Faine is no longer loyal to our cause, but it would be unwise to assume she still is. At least, not without first giving her a chance to offer an explanation. Have you had contact with her, Charmian?” His green eyes locked onto his immortal sister, looking for any sign of deceit.

  Surprisingly, she gave no such indication. “I have not,” she replied. “Not since the day before Darcie was abducted from the search party.”

  Des felt relieved to know Charmian was not hiding Faine, but disappointed with the lack of information. He really wanted to know what the immortal had been doing with Adir, and why she did not tell The Alliance.

  “We should arrange additional search teams,” Lome spoke when those around the table remained silent, “to search for Faine.”

  “Agreed,” Lucas, the representative of the werebeast community, called out.

  “As do I,” Master Ben added.

  “Very well.” Des nodded towards his younger brother. “You shall arrange it?”

  Lome dipped his head. “Right away.”

  Julisanna, their most ostentatious and beautiful sibling, cleared her throat. “Has there been any word from King Alexander? I thought he would’ve returned with the girl by now.”

  So did I.

  Des tried to appear calm. He did not want the powerful people around him to know just how agitated he was with the lack of information regarding Darcie and her safety. “For concealment purposes, Alexander is lying low. I expect to hear something soon.”

  Julisanna’s perfect eyebrows arched. “Do we even know if your soulmate is safe? We cannot afford to lose her, especially with the loss of Bella.”

  At the mention of his wife’s name, Thane’s body shuddered. Des watched him clench his fists. “Do not speak of her,” his voice was deathly low.

  For once, the confident Julisanna paled. “I-I am sorry,” she apologized. “I did not mean to offend.” She knew, as did they all, how volatile the lead immortal could be.

  Thane did not say another word. The chair went flying back as he stood and turned to leave the antechamber. Des knew he needed to speak with him, and he should do it sooner rather than later.

  “Lome.” He looked at the younger brother. “Continue the meeting. Debrief the group with our most recent intelligence, and figure out what we will report to the crowd of allies gathered in the ballroom.” Creator knew the masses would want some information once their leaders finished speaking, but Lome understood they would need to take care with what, exactly, they shared.

  Not waiting for the rest of the room’s responses, Des moved and followed Thane’s departure. Thankfully, the immortal had not chosen to leave through the populated ballroom. Instead, he exited using the door on the opposite wall. It led to the home’s concealed staircases which led up to the family’s rooms
on the third floor.

  As Des ascended the narrow stairs, a faint vibration traveled through his legs. Placing a hand over his pocket, he realized someone was calling his phone.

  Anxiously, he stopped walking and pulled out the device.

  Unknown.

  Chest pounding, he pressed the accept button and immediately said, “Darcie?”

  “No,” a masculine voice responded. “Alex. Sorry to disappoint.”

  Even though it wasn’t Darcie who called, Des was still happy to finally receive contact. “Is Darcie with you? Is she safe?”

  “Yes. She is safe.”

  The words caused a wave of relief to wash over Des. His shoulders sagged and he leaned against the wall for support. “Thank The Creator.” His lungs took their first full breath in days.

  There was a pause before Alexander added, “There is something I must tell you.”

  And just like that, the tense worry returned. Des pressed the phone closer to his ear. “What is it?”

  “She is unharmed, but Darcie has… undergone a change.”

  Des had no idea what the vampire meant. He told him as much.

  Again, Alexander took a moment before responding. “We knew Adir wanted Darcie, but I am afraid we had no idea of his true intentions.”

  The suspense threatened his sanity. Des had enough. “Just tell me.”

  Alexander obliged. “Adir did not abduct Darcie just to keep her away from you. He took her so he could change her into an immortal… Darcie is an immortal, Des.”

  The world tilted. Des stumbled to the side before sliding down to sit on the floor. He hardly believed his ears. “Sh-she is immortal?”

  “Yes.” Alexander sounded sad.

  It didn’t seem real. Never in Des’ darkest thoughts would he have imagined such a thing. It was unheard of. Only Lome and Thane had ever altered a human’s mortality. It was believed that only the brothers could do such a thing, and it could only be done with their soulmates.

  Obviously, they were wrong.

  The thought of Adir being the one to initiate Darcie’s change infuriated him. It was a massive violation, and one that Des swore he would make Adir pay for.

  “Des?” Alexander questioned after a lengthy silence.

  The immortal struggled to regain his composure. “How is she handling it?”

  “As well as one could hope. I think a part of her has yet to fully grasp the situation. Mostly, she is struggling with her increased senses.”

  Des pressed his eyes closed. “I should be with her.” It was his responsibility to care for Darcie–to care for his One. Yet, he had failed her at every turn.

  All he wanted was to keep her out of danger. Since he first set eyes on her, his sole mission was to keep her safe. But now, there was no going back. Darcie had been in the thick of the immortal conflict from the start, and now she would be tied to it forever.

  “I should be helping her,” Des added in a small voice. He’d never felt such a feeling of defeat.

  “There is little doubt that Adir and his spies are waiting for you to lead them straight to her. It would be best for you to stay put.”

  Des knew his friend was right. He’d come to the same conclusion himself, but that was before he knew Adir had changed Darcie’s mortality. His desire to be by her side was strong.

  “There is something else.” Alexander’s tone was wary. He pronounced each word with care.

  Opening his eyes, Des bent his head back and stared at a spot high on the wall. He had very little energy left. “What is it?”

  It can’t possible get any worse.

  Unfortunately for Des, he was wrong.

  Alexander cleared his throat. With caution, he relayed the second part of Adir’s plan. The vampire told Des what the rebellious immortal had planned to do with Darcie after she changed into an immortal.

  “Bond with her?” He practically shouted the words. “That is impossible.”

  “Apparently, it isn’t,” Alexander said with patience. “Darcie told me everything. Adir had an Elder working for him. After her transformation, the plan was for the Elder to forge the life-bond between them.”

  “An Elder?” Des questioned. “Why would an Elder agree to help Adir commit such a crime? It goes against everything their race stands for.” The ancient beings were just as old as the immortals, but resided in their own realm. Their visits to the human realm were rare, making their involvement in the situation unusual to say the least.

  “I do not know,” Alexander admitted. “But Darcie did say the Elder helped her escape. He convinced Adir to delay the bonding ceremony, allowing her time to get away.”

  Thank The Creator for that.

  Des’ mind worked to understand the onslaught of information and what it meant. It did not take him long to realize why Adir would have wanted to accomplish such a task. His goal, as always, was to rid the three brothers of their strength and power over the other Original immortals. Not only had Adir debilitated them by murdering Bella, but he also aimed to deprive them of Darcie.

  Over my dead body.

  “Please tell me you are still there and not rushing off to end Adir,” Alexander joked half-heartedly.

  “I’m still here,” Des responded. “Just… trying to process it all.”

  “She is safe, Des,” Alexander murmured. “She is okay. Adir did not win.”

  “No,” he agreed. “But he will be searching for her with more urgency than I anticipated. Can you confirm she is safe wherever you are?”

  “I can.”

  His relief was small, overshadowed by the latest information. “I assume you have a plan?”

  Alexander’s response came fast. “I do.” He proceeded to explain the details, highlighting how Darcie and her unique abilities would fit in. Ultimately, the vampire predicted that she would be the one to bring down the rebellion.

  Once he finished listing out the plot, Alexander asked, “Do I have your approval? If so, Darcie and I will need to act quickly before Adir realizes exactly what he created.”

  Des had listened attentively. Now, he struggled to believe everything his friend had shared. If Alexander was right, Darcie could be the key to ending all of their troubles. But, in doing so, she would be putting herself in danger.

  He groaned, torn between doing what was best for the majority while resisting the urge to insist the protection of his soulmate above all others.

  Darcie’s determined face appeared in his mind. Des knew she would not want to be coddled. She would want to help The Alliance in any way she could.

  Des knew he didn’t have a choice. “Yes. I approve.”

  He heard Alexander’s sigh in the earpiece. “Thank you.”

  “I trust you.” Des meant it. The vampire king was one of the most trustworthy men the immortal had ever encountered.

  Regardless, he could not resist adding one last plea, “Just… be sure to keep her safe. I will not be able to go on if something happens to her.” Des had never said a more honest sentence.

  The line grew quiet. Solemn thoughts were shared by both men. Neither wanted to imagine what it would mean for them if something happened to Darcie. She’d become too important to both of them.

  Alexander’s last words were full of strength. “You have my word.”

  7

  Darcie

  “Tell me again why you insisted on dragging me to this dreary place?”

  Darcie rolled her eyes. “It is a grocery store,” she told Alex. “Stop acting like I took you to a dungeon.”

  They passed by a display of canned vegetables. Alex picked one up and read the label. “It might as well be. Who in their right mind would prefer to eat preserved rather than fresh produce?”

  She grabbed the can and put it back on the display. “People who don’t want to worry about food spoiling in the fridge. Now, stop touching every single thing.” Darcie had seen children behave better than her ancient friend.

  Alex frowned and tucked his hands behind his back.
“Fine.”

  Doing her best not to smile at his sulky response, Darcie continued to push the shopping cart towards the frozen food section.

  Earlier that morning, her dad expressed a need to drop by his office at the university. He wanted to retrieve some of the journals he’d left there before traveling to Europe. Darcie saw his absence as the perfect opportunity to restock the middle-aged man’s pantry. She grabbed the Jeep’s spare set of keys and dragged Alex along for the errand.

  “Frozen pizza?” Alex asked in horror.

  She shrugged and placed the item in the cart. “They’re easy, and my dad likes them.”

  The vampire made a disgusted noise. Darcie found his horror amusing.

  “Don’t act like this is the end of the world,” she told him. “You had a good time exploring Brunswick this morning.”

  Before Darcie subjected him to shopping, she had driven Alex to her favorite coffee shop and then around the small town, showing him the highlights of her childhood home. Though it was obvious Alex had been unimpressed with the magnitude of Brunswick, he had shown interest in learning about where Darcie grew up.

  At first, Darcie did not understand his curiosity. After all, Alex had been around for centuries. No doubt, he’d seen it all. But it dawned on her that his fascination might have something to do with her mother, and why she would have chosen to settle in the small town with her father.

  “That does not negate the fact that grocery shopping is dull,” Alex said in reply. He retrieved the frozen pizza, and he frowned as he read the list of ingredients. He dropped it like it burned his skin.

  “It’s not always dull,” Darcie began, wanting to distract him. The errand was going to be unbearable if his mood did not change.

  Alex took the bait. “What do you mean?”

  She paused for effect, then revealed, “This is where Evetta attacked me.” The memory was still fresh, though it was not as frightening as it had been in the past.

  Darcie had accidentally encountered Evetta in the store. She remembered thinking the woman was stunning, but rude as she treated one of the employees with contempt. At the time, she had no idea she’d come face to face with an immortal. She did not even know they existed. But Evetta knew who Darcie was, or rather, who Darcie was believed to be.