Page 28 of Surrendering Hope (The Hope Legacy)

He shrugs as I lean over and get in his face. He sighs and runs a hand through his hair. “Enough.”

I punch him in the solar plexus. He flinches, but takes it, as he should. All the positive feelings Jed has sparked from me, friendship, caring, trust… all fake.

I’m shaking. “Anything to do with me and Archan?”

He grits his teeth. “No, I would never. I’ve calmed you when your power has been a threat, helped you relax when you’re too wound up and not getting enough rest,” his head drops. “I’m sorry. It’s nothing a friend wouldn’t do.”

“That’s just it, are we friends? Or are my emotions manipulated to believe we are?” All this time, I thought the threat of influence was Archan, when it was the cheeky, friendly man I found a fast friendship with.

He clasps my hand, tears form in my eyes. “We are friends, Natia. You can trust me, I wouldn’t do anything to harm you, or betray your trust.” He clenches my hand. “I’ve only ever tried to help you. I held back secrets from my own brothers for you.” Emi sucks in a breath, making me snap my head to her. She’s staring at Jed like he’s declared the world is about to stop turning.

“Is that a big deal?” I ask Emi. She nods her head, her mouth opens, closes, opens… then closes. Hmm… Emi speechless. Must be big. Jed releases a sigh as I tug my hand away from him. He stares at the ground as I back away, my legs bumping against the coffee table before I scoot around it and settle on the opposite sofa next to Aaden. I run my hands through my hair and force the sting behind my eyes back down. I can’t fall apart, we have too much to do and too many people depend on me to keep my shit together.

“Nobody predicted you and Archan would fall for each other,” Jed finally says.

“I’m not positive he has fallen,” I whisper.

“Really? You’re the first woman he has pursued in eons.”

“The challenge turned him on, he enjoyed the chase.”

Jed shakes his head. “Archan doesn’t chase women. He believes if they aren’t interested there’s plenty more fish in the sea, and one fish is like another. So why hunt, when another willing woman will walk into his arms?”

I cock my head. “Fish can’t walk.”

Jed rolls his eyes. “You’ve changed him. He cares, he’s become more focused, invested.”

“He seemed focused before I met him.”

Jed nods. “Sure, but he was cold, detached… it was a job, and his life comprised exactly of that, a job. With you he became warmer, more passionate about the purpose, clearer about why we were fighting to keep the world alive.” Jed launches himself onto the floor, his knees hitting the stone with a thud. He clasps my hands.

“I’m sorry if you feel betrayed, I never meant to deceive you. But I can’t announce to everybody who I am, and your suffering is not something I can sit through when I could help. When you were beaten I eased your pain, when your mind fractured I helped heal it, and I provided peace when you were restless. All of these things are something a genuine friend would do. I don’t play with people’s emotions, Natia, and I wouldn’t betray your trust.”

Tears sting my eyes as I tip my head back, exhale slowly and study the stone curved ceiling of the cave. “Have you influenced anything between me and Archan?”

He shakes his head and grasps my chin, bringing my focus back to him. “You and Archan are well… you and Archan. Every desire, every feeling, hate, fear, trust, mistrust… love.” I arch an eyebrow. “It’s all you. It’s complex as hell to be around you both at the same time. You give me a migraine.”

I chuckle. “You and me both.”

“If anyone can save the world and Archan, it’s you, Natia.”

It’s a big ask for a woman made to destroy the world, not save it, and right now my larger concern is Archan. He makes me feel strong, capable, and desirable, but also vulnerable. Sometimes, when you least expect it, someone sneaks into your heart and steals it for themselves, and sometimes they nurture that feeling, sometimes they use it to destroy you. The question is, which is Archan?

“I hope so, Smoothie, I hope so.”

Chapter Ten

Archan

Darkness breeds darkness, but the smallest of lights will extinguish it.

The beast roars his rage at being denied entry to my thoughts. He controls and occupies my body, but I won’t let him in my mind. The glimpses he’s had were purposeful and served to promote my act towards Natia being nothing more than someone to break, control, own. He’s unaware of my constant vigil to his every action, but like me, he’s hiding his thoughts. He wants her power, her beauty. He wants to own and control the hold she has over mankind, and when he’s obliterated the world he will drain her to ensure his hold becomes unbreakable. Challengers will be destroyed before they make their first move. Natia is the link between The Creator and the humans. Once they are extinct, he believes her power will be his to leash, and she will fall to her knees at his feet and worship him as his queen. He knows nothing. Natia will only ever fall for those she loves. She would sacrifice everything for those who have earned her love, and nothing for those who demand it.

I learnt the hard way and had only a taste of what it would be like to have everything from her, before I blew it with mistrust and denial. A decision which has cost me more than a life with her, it’s cost me everything. I just need to give them enough time to scramble together a plan and ensure she accepts what she needs to do.

An intense feeling of disgust radiates from Ty’s mind to mine. My attention snaps to the scene in front of me as I try to understand why. A waft of ammonia mixes with the scent of sulfur and brimstone. The high level demon shifts his feet as he informs him they don’t know where the Jar is which contains the other part of him, the part which will make him unstoppable. I smirk. I don’t know its location, but I know who has it.

The gills on the side of the demon’s neck ripple in anxiety as the beast takes a step closer. “You have no leads?” he roars.

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