Immortal Awakening: Immortal Heart (13 page)

“A lot of sweet shit,” Kale answered, as he held open the front door and ushered everyone in with an exaggerated gesture.

“Such a good little host,” Izzy cooed as she walked by and patted his cheek.

****

Cree dropped silently into the forest hiding Kadar’s home, letting go of Zander, he ran his hand across his neck, warning Zander to stay silent.

Bain landed near the front of the house, while Uriah took the rear. Waiting for the count of three, Bain and Uriah entered the home at the same time, with Cree and Zander following close behind.

Sweeping the main floor of the home, they cleared the house. Bain headed up the stairs to the second level. Dropping back down the stairs, Bain narrowed his eyes, taking in the details of the home. It was in disarray—lamps knocked over and furniture displaced.

“Was he always such a shitty housekeeper?” Bain asked distastefully as his eyes continued to sweep the room.

Uriah knelt down, his finger swiping across a piece of overturned furniture. He lifted it and eyed the layer of dust carefully. “This is recent… the dust is disrupted.”

Let’s get to the basement now,” Cree ordered, taking the lead. Zander followed, with Bain pushing at his back and Uriah following close behind. Once down the stairs, they found themselves in an empty room.

Uriah sighed. “Looks like Lothar’s intel was no good… this looks nothing like what he described.”

Cree turned in a circle, his eyes taking in every detail of the small, subterranean room. “This room is too small,” he said as he moved to the far wall and pushed against the stone. The wall slid to the side, causing Cree to grin. Darkness engulfed the hidden room, but a warm, orange glow called to them from around a corner.

Silently, with weapons drawn, the warriors and Zander moved through the dark hall towards the torch-lit room. Rounding the corner at the ready, they stopped short. Kadar lay on the floor near the throne-style seat Lothar had described. A tall, dark-haired figure sat in the chair with the stunning lady Esperanza at his side.

“Took you long enough,” Darion said in a languid tone.

Bain’s gaze locked on Esperanza. “What are you doing here?”

Esperanza smiled at her son. It was the same smile he’d grown up with, only now he saw what she attempted to hide with it… evil. “We are here to get what we need to fix what you all broke.”

“And we waited because we wanted you to be here when I did
this
.” Darion’s hand hit the lamp, and with a sneer of arrogance, he rubbed the shining, gold prison.

Samira’s head fell back, and her laughter filled the Hole. Makyle shook his head, and Izzy joined in the laughter.

“Oh, don’t look so butt-hurt,” Izzy cooed, as she patted Makyle’s chest and moved past him to take her shot at the table.

“Butt-hurt?” Makyle questioned.

Izzy nodded as she banked a stripe into the far corner pocket.

“You have to understand that you are drinking the girliest drink out there. You have one woman drinking scotch and the other taking on the world’s best silver liquid, while you cringe as we try to make you look a little more masculine with something other than sugary pucker and juice,” Kale said as he tracked Izzy’s turn. “Nice shot, Iz.”

Izzy grinned, and high fived him. “Your turn, partner.”

Kale circled the table, finding the perfect angle, and bent over, lining up his cue.

Samira smiled as she sidled up to Makyle. “I think he’s plenty masculine, even with a pink drink in his hand.”

“Well, we all know why you think that,” Izzy said under her breath.

“Isabelle,” Makyle warned in a tone that could only be called parental.

Laughter broke out again as Izzy gave him a pouty lip.

“You’re like a petulant teenager.”

“She is the youngest,” Lothar added.

“But not the least mature,” Holly said helpfully.

Izzy grinned at her. “No, that’s definitely Kale’s role.”

Samira laughed and wrapped her arm around Makyle’s waist. “I could get used to them.”

He dipped his lips to hers and kissed her softly. “I can’t tell you how much I needed to hear that.”

Samira smiled, keeping her gaze locked with his. “Then I’m glad I said it,” she whispered.

Makyle leaned in to capture her mouth once more, but stopped as her eyes grew wide and she pulled back. Her gaze dropped to her wrist, and his gaze followed. For the first time in his life, Makyle felt true panic. Gold cuffs surrounded Samira’s petite wrists.

“
I love you
,” she whispered, as she disappeared in a cloud of gold smoke.

****

Cree, Bain, Uriah, and Zander watched, in what felt like suspended time as a cloud of gold smoke filtered through the walls and solidified next to Darion in the form of Samira. Her skin had a new sheen of gold to it, and her hair seemed to shimmer in the low light. Her eyes had a metallic shine to them as they drifted over the warriors and Zander, her lids slid closed briefly before she looked to Darion and the lamp in his hand.

“What is your wish, Master?”

Darion sneered. “Eliminate the war—”

“Darion,” Esperanza drew out his name in warning. “Leave the warriors; they aren’t our concern. Have her send us home.”

Darion glared but acquiesced. “Take my lovely mate and I back to our home.”

“No!” Zander yelled and leapt towards them. They were gone in a swirl of gold. He hit Darion’s throne and flipped over it, rolling and slamming into the wall.

Bain growled. “Makyle is going to lose his shit.”

Uriah and Cree both went to help Zander up while Bain paced the floor, only stopping to slam his fist against the wall. “What the fuck else could go wrong right now?” he asked in exasperation.

With the warriors all sidetracked, Kadar made his move, bolting from the floor and out of the room.

Uriah and Bain both cursed and headed down the dark hall, chasing after the caster. Kadar hit the hidden door, closing it with a loud crash behind him. Uriah groaned, and with a flick of his arm, the wall blew apart.

“Nice,” Bain said with a fang-filled grin.

Uriah grinned back as they moved up the stairs, through the house, and back out into the night. Scanning the area slowly as he moved off the porch, he suppressed a shake of his head. With a subtle, two-finger gesture, he signaled to Bain. Bain caught the sign and headed away from Uriah to circle back around. Kadar was a dumbfuck; he hadn’t been smart enough to keep running. Instead, he decided to hunker down behind a tree less than fifty yards from the house.

Kadar’s eyes remained on Uriah as he attempted to conceal himself within the darkness. Uriah moved further away from the house, heading into the thicker forest around the property.

Bain crept up behind the crouching caster. With a quick pull on the hilt of his sword, he had it resting against the side of Kadar’s neck while his free hand grasped the caster’s upper arm.

“You’re about to get another free ride on us, my friend, and even a complimentary stay in our all-inclusive dungeon.” Bain grinned as he let his massive, white wings free and shot up through a small break in the trees.

“Got him!” he hollered. “I’ll meet you back at the castle.”

Uriah returned to the steps of the hidden forest home just as Cree and Zander were exiting.

Cree glanced to the sky and nodded. “Let’s go,” he said. They took flight, following Bain and his screaming prisoner. The trip was short, and soon they hit the cobblestone of the back courtyard.

Izzy and Lothar were holding Makyle back as Holly and Kale stood close by.

“
Let me go!
” Makyle roared.

“Calm down,” Bain said, as he shoved Kadar to the ground and hurried to Izzy’s side.

“Fuck you, pretty boy,” Makyle snarled.

Bain arched a brow and looked to Izzy, mouthing, “
Pretty boy?”

Izzy shrugged and suppressed a smile. This was no time to remind Bain that she, too, thought he was awfully pretty.

“What the hell happened out there?” Lothar asked.

Makyle’s gaze landed on Kadar. With a treacherous growl, he lifted him into the air by his throat. “Where. Is. She?”

“He doesn’t have her,” Cree said as he, Uriah, and Zander landed next to the group. Cree handed Zander off to Uriah, who headed for the castle.

“Put him down, Makyle. We still need him.”

Makyle grinned savagely. “The great thing about it, Cree, is that he can’t die again. I can beat him over and over again—for eternity, if I choose—and it won’t kill him. Although it will make him wish for the death he once fought.”

“Put him down,” Cree ordered.

Makyle looked to Cree with an ire that cooled the air. “Where is she?”

“Darion and Esperanza were there. They have her.”

Makyle threw Kadar to the side and let his wings loose. Izzy grabbed his arm. She nearly flinched when he turned his diamond eyes on her. There was a cold fire burning in them that would force the strongest of men to cower before him.

Something clicked, and his stare softened. “I wouldn’t hurt you,” he said softly.

Izzy nodded. “I know you think that, but if you leave right now with no backup and something happens to you… that would destroy me, so please, just hang on while we figure this out.”

“You know what they are capable of… I can’t leave her with them.”

“I know, and I will go with you; just take a minute. We need clear heads if we are going against them with Samira on their side.”

Kale sighed. “Here, I’ll take him,” he offered as Bain pulled Kadar to his feet. “Go get Samira.”

Bain nodded and shoved Kadar to Kale. “Careful, there is a good possibility he relieved himself on our flight.

Kale grimaced. “Fucking pussy. You weren’t
that
high.”

Darion stood before the large window in his throne room. He turned to look at Samira and smiled at his fortune.

“You know, genie, I almost didn’t come for you. When my seer came to me and said Kadar was back and he was after a lamp, I assumed it was time to put her down, for she had clearly lost her mind. Fortunately, my lovely mate and I decided to check it out, and now I have you.”

Darion gracefully reclined in his throne. He reached for Esperanza’s hand and lifted it to his lips. She smiled from her seat at his side.

“What next, my love?” he asked. “The castle is repaired, and I feel like a brand new man. What would please you, Essy?”

Esperanza looked to Samira. Samira felt the ice-cold stare to her very core—evil radiated from Esperanza’s cool, lavender gaze. “Tell me, genie, what was that look you shared with the warriors? Which one holds your heart? Are you Cree’s new conquest?”

Samira shook her head. “No, the warriors were merely helping me after I aided Uriah.”

Esperanza smirked. “Ah, you must be the one who helped cloak him—the child and the human. That would mean you had some kind of connection to Makyle. Do tell me about that.”

“What do you wish to know?” Samira asked, unable to fight against her need to please those who ruled over her. Darion had already wished that she would comply with what his mate wanted, and now she had no choice but to tell them all about Makyle.

“Who is the Ruler to you?”

Samira sighed as the words bubbled up. “He is my heart and my soul. He is all I wish for in this world.”

Esperanza arched a brow as she looked to Darion briefly before locking that cool gaze back on Samira. “And what are you to him?”

“He loves me.”

Darion laughed. “He is not capable of love. That’s not the kind of man he is.”

“You’re wrong. I know he loves me.”

Darion smirked and clasped his hands together. Placing his elbows on the arms of his throne, he sat up and rested his chin on his fisted hands. “If that is true, then we should prepare for a rescue mission; he will no doubt come for you.”

“Indeed,” Esperanza agreed. “If I am not mistaken, you are supposed to be dead. Did Makyle change your fate?”

Samira’s head fell slightly. “He killed me, then brought me back and placed me safely in the Human World.”

Darion stood and walked to Samira. He circled her and shook his head. “She needs better clothing—the male clothing from the Human World isn’t flattering on her.”

Esperanza scoffed. “It’s hardly male clothing. They’re jeans and a tank top. Besides, she needs to stay in pants for my plan.”

“And what is that plan?” Darion questioned from behind Samira.

“Easy—Makyle was the main cause of all the damage done here. I say we make him pay.”

“How is that?” Darion asked.

“Simple. He killed her once; I say we force him to try again.”

Samira’s eyes widened.