Page 2 of Fated In Forever
“You may wait in here.” Nikolai ushered us into a cavernous room off the main hall, his easy smile doing nothing to reassure me. Especially with the way Commander Finn watched us with narrowed eyes, his guards lining the walls, seconds away from getting all stabby.
“My mate is locating Brendan, they should arrive any moment. I expect Aisling will find you some clothing, you are soaked to the skin.”
“I’m fine.” I didn’t much care about wet clothes, not when the world was on the brink of ending. I took a long look around the imposing space, the enormous crystal chandeliers and walls covered in battered war memorabilia; the ornate throne perched on a dais at the head of the room. This reminded me too much of Tyrell’s gaudy castle, of the pomp and power vampires craved as thirstily as blood, of everything I despised about my new species.
“Perhaps, but your friend…” Nikolai frowned at Malachi, flicked his finger and a swirl of black shadow encased Malachi’s lower half, masking everything from the waist down. “There,” Nikolai smirked at Commander Finn. “Now you won’t feel so…inconsequential.”
I blinked. Did an Elder just make a…dick joke?
“You can fuck all the way off, Prince Pain-In-My-Ass.” Finn flipped him the bird, his blue eyes narrowing on Malachi. “It takes more thanthatto threatenmymasculinity, when it’s you who can’t …”
“We don’t have time for this,” I rubbed my aching temples. “We’re wasting time when we should be stopping the ley line leaking magic. It’s causing a…” I looked to Malachi.
A rift. The leaking magic is causing a rift, one that is large enough to cause this realm to collapse in on itself.
“A rift,” I clarified. “If we don’t do something, this realm will collapse and trust me, Ravok would love nothing more. He’s a burning bridges kind of guy.”
“Well, that’s not dramatic or anything.” Finn muttered, finally sheathing his weapon. “I swear, it’s always fucking something around here. I’d give anything for a few days off.”
Nikolai closed his eyes and I wondered if he was praying for strength or deciding to kill the both of us and bury us out back when two more vampires materialized into the room.
One blond, one dark haired, both of them stripped to the waist, splattered with blood and oozing the same power as Nikolai. Baring incisors the size of my fingers, Malachi stepped in front of me, and the dark-haired vampire threw his head back and laughed.
More Elders? Impossible.If the circumstances weren’t so dire, I might have chuckled at the indignant frustration in Malachi’s voice, like somehow, he’d been purposely left out of the group chat.
Your intel was definitely faulty, my friend,I thought back, gripping my pathetic little knife tighter, though a hell of a lot of good that would do me, especially when the dark-haired vampire raked his eyes up and down my body in deliberate provocation, then looked pointedly at the eight-foot monster in the room, like hewantedto fight.
Maybe he was tired of being alive, who knew?
“Dravin.” Nikolai’s voice hardened, like they’d had this conversation a hundred times already. “Enough. They’ve been given the clan’s protection and Aisling will have your head if you so much as step out of line. I know you don’t fear me, but you know better than to risk her wrath.”
That fast, aggression faded from Dravin’s stance and his expression shuttered at that name—Ash-leen.Some of thetightness eased off my chest, even though Malachi still seemed to be debating drenching the throne room in blood.
Seriously, this place could use some color.
“Wolf, Dravin, head to Château des Ombres Éternelles, take stock of the situation, then report back.” He pinned the darker haired vampire with a look cold enough to strip off skin. “Donotengage, donotstart a war, observe only and come straight back. Donoteat anyone.”
I was still hung up on the not-eating-anyone directive when they vanished, Nikolai blowing out a long-suffering sigh as he turned his attention back to us. “I apologize for my friend’s boorish behavior, he’s still learning the ways of this world. Brendan should arrive any moment, and...”
His whole face softened, a genuine smile tilting up his lips as a beautiful, tattooed female and an older male hurried in, arms linked, eyes widening as they got a load of their visitors.
Yup.Surprise.
“Aisling. There you are.” Nikolai’s entire face lit up, as if his entire world revolved around her. “We have some unexpected guests. With Rowan gone, I thought bringing them inside quickly would be prudent.”
“Good call. I can only imagine the questions, otherwise.” She stepped into his arms and I admired the casual familiarity between them, the way he brushed his lips across the top of her dark hair, how she laid one hand over his chest.
I wasn’t sure who she was, but Aisling was stunning.
Voluptuous in a way I would never be and confident—also in a way I would never be—her round face was dusted with freckles, tilted gray eyes widening the moment they landed on Malachi. The older male—Brendan Thorne, I assumed—was still powerfully built, with gray at his temples and short hair that barely brushed his collar.
Someone used to wielding authority; the way Riordan did.
A shiver of unease went through me as I studied him, wondering what was so special about him. I couldn’t trust anyone,shouldn’ttrust anyone, and my instincts warned me to stay on high alert, knife in hand, magic—what little I had left—ready to cast.
Then Brendan’s eyes met mine. There was nothing in them but kindness, a gentle kind of concern, like a father might show his child, and that tightness around my heart loosened, my sweaty palms still sweaty but a lot less shaky.Maybe that is hope I’m feeling.
Maybe Malachi was right to bring us here.Maybe Brendan could turn him back into…him.
