Page 74 of Soulbound Shadows: Part 2

“The potions will only work on the non-vamps,” Evangeline said as she strapped on her breastplate. “I made extras, though, just… just in case.”

In case the witches were incapacitated. In case one of us needed to save the person we loved from the brink of death.

“Probably wise,” I said, my throat tight.

There were charms, too, painted onto the gear or little tokens we tucked into our clothes. I didn’t feel ready, but I felt more ready than I had when I’d faced my father.

Evangeline looked radiant, but she always did. There was no trace of worry on her pale face, just calm. She looked like an icon of some ancient battle goddess. If it weren’t for the strength of our connection, I wouldn’t have picked up on how stressed she actually was. She met my eyes, and her face softened as she gave me a tense smile.

“I’m gonna do some final checks with Isabella,” she told me. “See you downstairs?”

“Of course.” I caught her hand as she turned to leave and tugged her into a tight embrace. I needed to feel her against me, to feel her warmth and breathe in the scent of her hair. She wrapped her arms around me and tilted her face up to kiss me. There was no way to pour everything I felt for her into that kiss, but I didn’t have to. In our joined minds, the love, adoration, and fear mingled smoothly.

I was halfway down the stairs when I heard the voices. Without vampiric hearing, I doubted I would’ve picked up on them. If I’d remembered to make noise when I walked, they probably would’ve heard me coming and gone quiet. But I was a vampire, and so, I heard exactly what Marcus and Xarek were saying.

They were on the second floor, over by the master bedroom, their heads bent together as they spoke.

“This one is fairly standard,” Marcus said. “Simply activate it and it’ll teleport you away.” He pressed a pendant into Xarek’s hand. It looked almost exactly like the one tucked inside my breastplate, close to my heart. A portal stone.

“Where will it send me?” Xarek asked, voice low.

Marcus smiled thinly. “Somewhere safe. Another of my bolt holes, far from here. Unfortunately, I haven’t found a way to turn the artifact into something that can’t be taken from you if you’re captured.”

“It’s still amazing,” Xarek said as he looped the pendant around his neck. “Thank you, Marcus.”

Marcus tucked the pendant into Xarek’s shirt and smoothed a hand over his chest. “There’s something else,” he said flatly. “If they… If you can’t use the portal. It’s far from an ideal solution, but…” He shook his head, tilting his face up to the ceiling and blowing out a breath.

“Tell me?” Xarek prompted gently.

“It’s a powerful charm,” Marcus said. “But the runes are quite simple. Easy to hide. If I draw it onto you, then all you’ll have to do is say a word of your choice and the spell will activate.”

“Marcus…”

“It’s not pretty magic, Xarek, and I wouldn’t offer this in any other circumstances, but… Morgana wants power. If she finds out there are more dragons nearby, she won’t rest until she finds them, and we might not be around to stop her.”

Xarek had gone motionless, one hand over Marcus’s where it was still pressed to his chest. Marcus looked at him wearily—even from a distance I could see his exhaustion.

“If you activate the spell, it will burn through your memories and erase anything to do with your family,” Marcus said. “No matter how deeply your mind is searched, there won’t be any traces that could lead her to them.”

There was a short, horrible moment of silence, and then Xarek pulled Marcus forward, cupping his face in both hands, resting his forehead on Marcus’s.

“Thank you,” he breathed.

Marcus slumped against him, grabbing onto Xarek’s shoulders like the other man was the only thing holding him up. Xarek kissed him, and I was suddenly acutely aware that I was witnessing a private moment—something not meant for me. I crept back up the stairs and settled onto one of the seats on the third-floor landing until the others were ready. There was no harm in giving them some privacy.

Once everyone was suitably armored and equipped, we loaded into Marcus’s atrocious vehicle, which was now some sort of distended minivan big enough to seat us all. Marcus and Xarek looked red-eyed and well-kissed, but they were hardly the only ones. I squeezed Evangeline’s hand, and she rested her head against my shoulder.

We’d decided that, since the ley lines around Morgana’s lair were no longer accessible, the simplest means of getting there would be to drive. Marcus was behind the wheel, with Xarek taking shotgun. Lissa and Vic sat in one row of seats, with Theo and Isabella behind them. Unfortunately, that left the back row to me, Evangeline, and Damien. Damien sat on Evangeline’s other side, his face completely blank. Every now and then, he glanced at Evangeline, and his eyes warmed. I sent her a questioning thought and received a wave of reassurance in return. It wasn’t anything to worry about.

I didn’t know if I should tell her it wasn’t the warmth I was worried about, but the blankness. I knew that expression. Usually it was seen on those who had either just left a horrible battle, or on those who were walking into one with no intention of returning.

The trees of the Eldoria forest blurred past us as the van sped forward. Inside, it was nearly silent, all of us lost in our thoughts and in each other. The battle was almost upon us, and it was getting closer with every passing second.

Soon, either Morgana would be destroyed, or we would be.

26

EVANGELINE

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