Immortal Craving: Immortal Heart (19 page)

Kale pulled into Hawk’s Eyes’ parking lot. Night had fallen over the city and everything felt surprisingly quiet.

Jake and Kat followed him into the building. Cree stood at the front desk waiting for them.

“How was the flight?” he asked.

“Not my preferred way of navigating the skies, but no real complaints. Can you tell me what’s going on?”

Cree nodded. “Yep, you and I need to have a talk while Rowan meets with Kat and Jake.”

Kale arched a brow. This was the second time Rowan was meeting with
Kat and again it was made perfectly clear he was not going to be a part of the meeting. But Kale nodded, smiled at Kat, and followed his leader into Cree’s office.

“What’s going on?” Kale asked.

“Rowan and I talked and she’s decided to halt the search for Brie at this time. The Drifters and the amount of undocumented Fae in that club last night has her on high alert. We need to focus on finding those portals.”

Kale nodded. “And I’m not in that room to hear her tell this to Kat—why exactly?”

Cree frowned. “Because Rowan made a deal with Kat, and now Kat has to make her decision.”

“What do you mean?” Panic spiked deep inside of Kale. “What’s happening in that other room, Cree?”

Cree sighed. “Kat and Jake are filling out the paperwork that will allow them to stay in the Human World. She’s giving them their freedom.”

Ok, well, that didn’t sound so bad.

“There was one other part of their deal… should Kat chose it, Rowan has promised to not reveal where Kat ends up or under what name she will take after tonight.”

“Why would Rowan do that?” Kale asked.

“You need to understand this was not something Rowan agreed to easily—this was Katarina’s demand. Now, I can tell things have changed a bit for the two of you and that is why Rowan wanted to speak with her alone. You and Kat can figure out what you two want to do when she’s finished with Rowan.”

Cree could bet his life that Kale and Kat would be having a long discussion. He didn’t want to let her go. He never wanted to lose her again.

Cree watched Kale intently. It still drove him crazy that he had no vision of how this would play out for his youngest warrior.

“You still love her. You never really stopped.”

Kale shook his head. “No, I never did.”

Cree nodded. “You know I want all of my brothers to be happy and I think you deserve to be with the woman you love, but what of her true mate?”

Kale held his breath, not sure he wanted anyone to know that
he
was her true mate—
especially
if she was going to walk away. While he held hope that this wasn’t the last he’d see Kat, because he would fight for her, but she was stubborn and he would respect what she wanted. Because he loved her that much, he was selfish that much he knew, but if this was the one selfless act he could give to her… he would.

He fought over how to answer Cree’s question, but the fact was he could never lie to Cree—not to his face like he would have to in order to hide the truth.

“I am her true mate,” he said in a stronger voice then he thought himself capable in this situation.

Cree’s brows rose. It was almost comical as they nearly reached his hairline.

“Well, all-be-damned.” Cree smiled. “Then I say you fight for her.”

Kale nodded. “I want to but she doesn’t know that I know.”

“How can you be sure then?”

Kale smirked. “I saw the mark on her and I saw it on myself this morning.”

Cree nodded. “You need to tell her what you know. Honesty, Kale—that’s what the two of you need.”

Rowan entered Cree’s office then, a smile tilting her lips.

“I hear you took a whole building down last night. No one mentioned that fact to me when I came to check on Uriah,” she quipped as she moved to Cree’s side.

Kale chuckled. “Yeah, it wasn’t my intentions, but that Jinn had it coming.”

Rowan laughed. “That’s what I hear, but next time, try to at least leave the building standing—though after what he did to Uriah… Well, let’s just leave it at… good job. Now, Kat and Jake are waiting out in the lobby for you.”

Kale nodded. “Alright, but first—did you see Uriah today?”

“Yes, he was still with Jelena when I left to come here.” A knowing smile lifted her lips a little higher. “He seemed to be in very good spirits.”

Yeah, Kale was sure he was… They all knew there was something between those two, though no one ever talked about it.

****

Kat paced the serene lobby of Hawk’s Eye Security. The Nymph that managed the front office was obviously very in touch with her magic.

Kat was trying to distract herself. Things had moved too fast. She was supposed to have more time—at least one night, one more night with Kale. That one more night would either strengthen her resolve or completely break her—either way, she wanted it.

Kat smiled at Kale as he approached her, uncertainty slowing his pace.

“Give us a second,” Kat told Jake.

Jake nodded and headed for the exit as Lucas made his way in with a nervous Brownie in tow.

“What’s Jerry doing back here?” Kale asked, eying the twitchy Brownie. “You didn’t already break our deal, did you?”

“No,” Jerry assured Kale.

“He’s here to see Katarina,” Lucas answered.

Kat’s brows scrunched with confusion. “Why?”

Lucas looked to Jerry. “Is that her?” he asked, gesturing to Kat.

“Who?”
Kat asked hotly.

“Is she the Succubus who helped you
get to the Human World?”

“What are you talking about?” Kat asked and then looked to Kale.

Kale shook his head. “What’s going on, Lucas?”

“I was told to bring him here to see if he could I.D. Katarina as the Succubus who’s helping the Drifters.”

Kale narrowed his eyes at the former Marine.

“Don’t look at me like that. I’m just following orders,” Lucas said dryly.

“Whose orders?” Kale ground out.

“Rowans,” Lucas said flatly.

Kat looked back to the Brownie. “I’ve never seen him before.”

All eyes fell on Jerry. “It’s not her,” he confirmed.

Kale nodded. “Good, now that that’s dealt with, give us a minute please,” Kale said, dismissing Lucas.

Kat looked to Kale. “Do I want to know what that was about?”

Kale shook his head. “No, we need to talk about that tattoo below your breast and the matching one that appeared on me this morning.”

Kat let out a long, heavy breath. “So, it really is there?”

“You knew? How long have you known?”

“It started out as an outline that appeared after… the living room at the
safe house. It was filled in this morning after we made love last night.”

She sounded sad and it was breaking his heart. Because, soul deep, he knew she was walking away. And damn it, Kale had told himself he would respect what she wanted.

“So, what are you going to do about it?”

Kat sucked in a breath, steeling herself for what she had to say. “I can’t,” she whispered. “I am so sorry, but this won’t work. I’ve chosen to take Rowan up on her offer to disappear into the Human World. I know what that mark means, but it came fifteen years too late.”

Kale felt the pain rising in him, trying to take hold as it had so many years ago… He would let Kat decide their future but not before taking Cree’s advice and laying the truth out for her—letting her know what he felt and what he wanted.

“We belong together. I never needed that mark to know the truth. It’s supposed to be me and you forever. Stay with me.”

“I can’t,” she whispered. “I’m so sorry, Kale.”

She wanted to stay. She wanted him. She wanted to kiss away every worry and bit of sadness that haunted him. But she wasn’t finished; there was still one last thing she had to do and if he knew he would either try—and most likely succeed in—stopping her or he would try and help. And if what the Immortal Three had told her was true, then this would be the cause that took not only Kale, but Rowan as well, into the domain of the Immortal Three.

The only way to save her true mate and possibly the future of the Light was for her to do the rest on her own. He had already promised her and Jake their freedom once they found Brie.

“Give it a chance,
Kitten.
”

She felt hot tears and her resolve begin to fall.

“I don’t know how,” she admitted, her beautiful emerald eyes imploring him to understand.

“I love you, Katarina. I always have,” he said softly. “You kept up your end of the bargain, and I won’t keep you
against your will.” Kale’s voice broke with the pain that came with the realization that he was going to lose her again.

“I do love you, Kale, but I’m broken. You deserve better than what I am.”

He deserved better than the scheming she was doing, but it was necessary. She wouldn’t let him die for a fight that was hers.

“You’ll always be safely kept… right here,” he pounded his fist over his heart. “And even without you, you’ll always haunt my dreams and I will always be thinking about you.”

Kat cupped his face, tears streaming down her cheeks. “I love you,” she told him in a pained whisper, before gently pressing her lips to his in a soft and chaste kiss that sealed her resolve to save him.

Kat dropped her hands from his face, turned around, and hastily retreated to slip into the passenger seat of the car Rowan had provided for her and Jake. Jake wasted no time pulling away from the front of Hawk’s Eye, leaving Kale to watch them go.

Kat’s sobs wracked her body.

“Kitty,” Jake said her name with so much emotion. “Why are you doing this?”

She had kept her promise to Acacia—she told no one about what she’d learned from the Immortal Sister. Kale would die if she brought him along with her. And Rowan would fail in her attempts to save him—leaving the Light without their beloved leader and the Immortal Warriors broken while they struggled to control the pain that would ripple through their people. Not to mention what would eventually come of Cree.

“You hate him. Why do you care?” It came out a little harsh, but it wasn’t meant that way. It was just hard to say anything through the pain she was feeling.

“Yeah, I don’t like him, but I love you too much to see you so hurt. I can deal with him for you… Maybe he’ll even grow on me too.”

Kat smiled as she looked to Jake briefly. He was still her best friend, the same strong, square-jawed protector he’d always tried to be for her. He was even willing to try and find something to like in Kale for her. She sucked in a few deep breaths.

“We need to deal with Darion; it’s what’s important right now.”

“You know I’ll follow your lead and there is little you could ask of me that I wouldn’t give into for you, and as much as I hate to say this, I think you’re making a mistake if you truly plan to walk away from Kale… your true mate.”

Kat steeled herself and kept her gaze straight ahead, refusing to look behind them. She had a feeling she would catch Kale’s strong and usually stoic figure, broken now, standing on the side of the street.

“Let’s focus in making it through the next forty-eight hours. Then I can figure out what to do with my broken heart.”

“Fix it. Let go of whatever is holding you back and just fix it, Kitty.”

She would try… if she survived what
Trevan had planned, she would try.

****

The portal rippled as Jake, Trevan, and Kat passed back into the Dark lands. Kat felt a wave of nausea sweep over her.

She never wanted to set foot in this godforsaken place again, but this was important to her and it was damn well important to the
Succubi
who were behind those tall stone walls that made up Darion’s fortress. They crouched in the cover of a large oak outside the first curtain wall, which protected the courtyards around the castle. Dressed in all black, they blended into the shadows of a slivered moon night.

“What now?” Jake asked.

“Now we wait for the rest of the cavalry,” Trevan said softly.

“How many were you able to convince to help us?” Kat asked.

Trevan smiled, though neither Kat nor Jake was looking at him. Their eyes were glued to the few sentry guards who patrolled the four-foot-five curtain wall, forty feet above them. “Five,” Trevan answered.

“
Five
?” Jake repeated incredulously. “Eight of us are going to storm Darion’s stronghold?”

Trevan
nodded. “Eight of us are going to sneak in on a rescue mission.”

“That’s not enough,” Jake said, leveling his gaze on
Trevan.

“I disagree, any more would be too many, plus my recruits are… talented.”

Talented?
Kat arched a brow. They better be fucking amazing if they were going to pull this off.

Kat flinched as five massive males stepped up behind
Trevan. Where they’d come from, she had no idea. They had literally appeared out of thin air.

Kat studied them briefly as the lights went on in her brain.

Tricky, tricky,
she thought.

Their pale skin and lithe movements meant one thing—
Trevan had recruited Vampires.

It was a wise move; one she should have thought about. Vampires were strong in the Human World, but in their native world they were powerful to the point of being downright scary. And yes, they had appeared out of thin air, or more precisely they had flashed to this meeting. It was a power that would come in handy. They could think of the place they wanted to be, blink their eyes, and when they opened them, they’d be in the place they’d just thought of.

It was an impressive time saver. One that Kat wondered if they maintained in the Human World.

She hadn’t seen Evan or any of his coven flash, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t. A little like the
Succubi,
they were rather private about what they were capable of. There was a lot she didn’t know… like what differences a born Vampire had from a made Vamp. But now really wasn’t the time for her curiosity.

“Kat, if you think of where
Darion kept you, Christian can pick up on your thoughts and flash you two there. I’m going with Jameson to find Jaylyn. Jake, you and the remaining Vamps hit the dungeon once you’ve cleared ahead for Kat.”

Kat looked to Christian and held out her petite hand. “Why are you helping us?” she asked.

Christian’s eyes flashed with pain—that one would have had to be completely oblivious not to see. “Personal family reasons,” he told her.

Kat got that. She guessed that was how
Trevan had recruited these five fierce-looking Vamps—he shared a private pain with them.

Kat nodded as she began thinking about the private prison
Darion had held her in.

She could still picture it with glaring detail: the wrought-iron canopy bed adorned in silks of red and purple and the writing table that had never been used. She wasn’t allowed a pen or pencil, not even a quill and ink. Not that she had anyone to write to. Everyone outside the beautifully arched window and stone wall thought she was gone—another soul belonging to the
Immortal Four
.

She pictured the thick rugs that warmed her feet against the harsh, slate floors. She had been a prisoner with pretty luxurious accommodations. The thought of that room brought the bile high into her throat.

“That’s enough,” Christian said sympathetically. “I can get us there. Keep your eyes closed and remember to breathe.”

Kat closed her eyes tightly. She couldn’t handle actually seeing the pity in the Vampire’s eyes—the pity in his voice was enough.

Kat felt the air rustle around her, swore she heard a whistle echo in her head, and felt the world pressing in on her.

“Give it a second and keep breathing,” Christian whispered in her ear.

Kat took a few more deep breaths and then opened her eyes. She felt a pained gasp escape her; the room was exactly the same. She could even see some of the same humiliating clothing she’d been forced to wear hanging in the open closet.

“It’s exactly the same,” she breathed quietly. “But no one’s here.”

“I know. I checked before flashing us in.”

Kat raised her eyes to look at Christian. “Something all Vamps can do?”

Christian shook his head. “No, it comes with age.”

Kat nodded. She got that—age affected most
Fae magic—the longer you were around wielding it, the more powerful it became.

Christian held up a finger, tilting his head towards the door. Whatever he heard must have been close. He pushed Kat towards the cracked bathroom door, where they listened to the sound of the bedroom door opening, a few footfalls, then the door closing again and a lock sliding into place.

The tall female form lit a candle and moved to her bed, where Kat could barely see her, but she heard her flop onto it. Kat peered around Christian and watched as the woman crossed her long legs and turned her face towards the cracked bathroom door. Kat caught sight of a swath of long, deep mahogany hair and a smile as the face came into view, highlighted by the flickering candle she’d just lit.

“You might as well come out so we can get the hell out of here.”