Turning to look up the beach at Tyr, he sighed. Glancing back to her, he whispered thoughtfully, "And, like us, you have an eternity to right a wrong."
Jaden s.h.i.+vered, knowing this knight knew much more than he let on. s.h.i.+va stood, leaving her alone on the sand. Jaden turned to watch Tyr. His strong, proud face glowed dully in the moonlight. Her love for him hit her like an impacting wave--powerful and all consuming. If she could feel it after her change, then maybe Tyr was capable of feeling it too. Maybe she had been blind. Maybe she had misjudged him.
Needing to tell him, she shot to her feet. Weakly, she stumbled across the deserted beach to reach him. Tyr didn"t move to help her. His eyes stayed steadily focused on her every movement. Jaden came to stand just below him. She looked up into his masked features. A vague hope struggled for life within her chest.
"Tyr, I--" she began in a rush. His hard look cut off her words. The ice blue of his eyes sliced through her as if he could cut her in half.
"Tomorrow we meet with the council," he said. "I have received word that the boatman will be ready."
Jaden nodded. Her body trembled in fear. For a moment, she thought she felt Tyr soften towards her. If he would just hold her she could face anything--her uncle, the council, eternity. She waited breathlessly, unable to speak, unable to sing the joy choking to life in her chest. Her lips parted. Tyr turned away. Her hope withered. The joy died.
Jaden watched the hard line of his back, knowing automatically that she was to follow behind. Her eyes worked wildly over his long hair. The blonde locks were tied back, away from his handsome face. She tried in vain to reason with her sorrow. Her heart sunk deeper into the pit of despair. After tomorrow she might not have an eternity. For, if Tyr wouldn"t champion her, the council would be sure to vote against her. However, if she did by some miracle survive, she doubted forever was enough time to make Tyr realize she was sorry and that he truly did love her.
Chapter Thirteen.
Island of Mykonos, Cyclades
Tyr sensed Jaden s.h.i.+vering beside him. He knew it wasn"t the cool island night that made her tremble. She was scared. She had been ever since they left his cave. He tried to block her from him, like he had most of the trip, not trusting her emotions as genuine.
But, as they stood on the silent beach, the partying crowd of Mykonos" nightlife behind them, he couldn"t help but hear the strained beating of her heart.
Every fiber inside of him urged him to touch her. His lips begged him for her kisses. But his mind held firm, knowing that he must hide his feelings well before they were detected by the elders. He knew s.h.i.+va already had a suspicion.
Besides, Tyr couldn"t forget Jaden"s deceptions. Time hadn"t lessened the pain of her lies. She had rekindled emotions inside of him that were long dead, only to dash them into an earthen tomb once more. In centuries he hadn"t dared to feel tenderness of such a magnitude and she used it to trick him.
Trust me. I love you. The words morphed in his head until they blended into a silent song of torment that wouldn"t leave him.
Centuries had pa.s.sed and no one had loved him. They"d been enthralled by him, enchanted. He"d been desired, l.u.s.ted for in many ways. He"d even been pursued by women who didn"t know his secrets. More than that, he had been feared, despised, revered, but never loved. And for her to pretend such a cruel thing, to make him hope only to take it away was a brutality much worse than that of endless time.
Jaden s.h.i.+vered again. She glanced at s.h.i.+va standing several yards away, nearly hidden by shadows. The slender knight paid them no mind. She dared a glance at Tyr. He was so strong and proud and he had lived through so much. She knew she was a fool for daring to hope that he could think more tenderly of her than the centuries of others that came before her. She loved him so much, and yet she was nothing to him.
Tyr saw Jaden eyeing him from the corner of his gaze. He pretended to ignore her.
"Tyr?" she questioned softly. Tyr kept his eyes on the water, waiting for the boatman to come. The sooner the boat came, the sooner it was over. "Won"t you talk to me?"
"And what would you have me say, princess?" he murmured quietly. The endearment was not tender. It hung between them like a bitter irony choking in the bowels of the underworld.
"What will they do to me?" she couldn"t keep from asking. Jaden"s fingers lifted absently to her mouth, feeling the sharp fangs.
They were still so new to her.
"Are you scared they will treat you as you have treated others?" he questioned, the bitterness returning as he thought of the folder in the satchel behind him.
Jaden"s mouth trembled. She pressed them firmly together, pinning her lips closed with her fangs. The salty tang of her blood ran into her mouth. She ignored it. She didn"t answer as her eyes turned to follow his. She was scared of facing them. Who knew what heartless beings they might be? And why should they show her mercy? She was their enemy, the killer of their benighted children."Tyr, I have to explain," Jaden began urgently. As she spoke a thin trail of her blood pa.s.sed over her lips, dripping off her chin. "I have to explain to you about the photographs you found. It"s not what you think."
Tyr glanced down to her and was about to answer, but his body p.r.i.c.kled in warning. He slashed a hand before her ordering silence. Jaden blinked, startled. She felt the warm stickiness on her lips and absently rubbed it away. Tyr"s eyes went first over the distance, but there was no boat. He looked for s.h.i.+va in the shadows, the vampire had disappeared.
Suddenly, a battle cry went out over the beach. Jaden"s eyes widened in horror as she spun around, turning her back on the water. An army clad in black rushed forward over the sand. Jaden instantly recognized their attire and detected their mortality.
Glancing fearfully at Tyr, she saw his body postured for a fight. She had to choose--and fast. Loyalty to the humans surged within her, but her heart beat for Tyr. She was no longer mortal, but she didn"t feel like a vampire. She had never belonged in any of their worlds. Now was her chance to choose a side. What should she do? But, the choice had been taken from her. She knew that. Hadn"t s.h.i.+va said she needed to choose a new alliance? Would her uncle"s men stop at her, knowing what she had become?
Would Mack?
She closed her eyes. Her fang bit again into the tender flesh of her lips as a reminder. There was no going back to mortality. She chose Tyr.
Tyr stepped in front of her, s.h.i.+elding her with his body. Jaden growled, darting past his side to lunge at a man in the forefront. She thumped against his chest, tackling him to the ground. Her hand snapped to his throat in a choking hold.
"Jade," the man gasped in terrified surprise.
Jaden recognized the voice. Ripping the mask from the man"s head, she threw it aside. She saw the fair locks of Tom"s hair drifting in the breeze before she focused on his sharp features. The man gasped, panicked by her sudden a.s.sault. His fingers clawed the backs of her hands, digging into the flesh of her knuckles. Again, she pressed her hand around about his neck.
"Jade," he whispered again, desperate to get her attention. An overly relieved smile came to his face when she lessened her hold.
"Thank G.o.d you"re alive! We"ve come to save you!"
"Save me," she said, her eyes glowing hotly with her immortal powers, "or kill me?"
Tom saw her undead face and squirmed. Her skin was flushed with a ghostly pale beauty. Her lips were tinged with the subtlest shades of blue and crimson. When she spoke, she displayed sharp white teeth that glinted in the moonlight. Kicking his leg around, Tom knocked Jaden in the back of her head. Her body jolted, falling to the sand. Tom sprang to his feet. Jaden was quick to follow. Her eyes turned wide before narrowing dangerously on his retreating back. She could smell Tom"s fear--not only of her, but of all things unknown. She detected intolerance and savagery and she hated him, more so than when she was human.
Tyr saw Jaden fighting Mack"s soldier from the corner of his eye. She handled herself well as they exchanged punches. He grudgingly respected her skill, recognizing moves she had used against him while they sparred. Why was she fighting the man? Tyr half expected her to help them. He had little time to ponder it as he turned to face the dozen men encircling him. One carried at net, others menacingly brandished stakes and swords.
Above them on the road leading past the beach, Mack sat in his car watching, puffing quietly on his cigar. He clutched a phone in his hands, ready to call a gunman he had waiting in the trees. It was so dark he couldn"t see who was who, except for the gigantic creature surrounded by his men. Mack knew that was Tyr. His body jolted with eagerness as the circle enclosed around the knight. His eyes scanned the beach for Jaden.
Jaden flew at Tom, empowered by the endurance of her rebirth. His fist met her jaw, her stomach, her temple. His feet kicked at her legs knocking them out from under her. Jaden jumped right back up. A smile played over her features. Tom froze, knowing suddenly that she toyed with him. A demonic light had entered her eyes as she studied him. Jaden pounced, tackling him to the ground. She pinned his body beneath her. Her mouth opened to bite him.
"No, Jade," Tom wheezed. "You don"t want to do this. We"re friends!" "Friends?" she asked. Jaden"s lip curled. The beast inside of her took over. She had been feasting on rodents and fish for so long that her body instinctively craved a real meal. Her mouth opened. Her head sank.
"Jade!"
Jaden froze. The sound of childhood broke through the fog in her brain. Her eyes darted to see her uncle standing on the dock above. His arms were widespread for her. The fire and blood in her eyes lessened to see him there, waiting for her, calling her.
Her eyes tilted, seeing the smile on his face as he sought her in the darkness. He was relieved. He was calling to her, but she couldn"t hear the words as blood rushed in her ears. Beneath her, Tom sighed in relief.
"Go to Mack," Tom urged. "He will help you. He has a plan."
"He will kill me," Jaden growled. "I am not like you, not anymore. I won"t be a part of it anymore."
"No, Jade," Tom eased, growing empowered. "You don"t understand. It will be fine. Mack will understand. He will take care of you."
"Like he took care of the others?" she said, her fury growing by bounds to think of it.
"Go to him," Tom insisted. "Please, Jade."
Jaden snorted and ignored the advice. Feeling a strange pull, her eyes darted to Tyr. She could detect something was wrong. A net was cast over his back. Ten men held him down. She saw Rick wielding a stake. It was aimed at Tyr"s turned back. Tyr flung an attacker off and then another.
Jaden let Tom go. Tom waved frantically over his head at Mack. Mack"s arms fell to his sides at the signal. His smile faded. Jaden left the man on the beach and dashed with all her speed to rescue Tyr.
Mack lifted his phone and pushed a b.u.t.ton. The call was immediately answered.
"What is happening? Can you see her?" Mack rushed.
"She is helping him," the gunman whispered. "The creature is almost free. What do you want me to do?"
There was silence as Mack watched his niece"s figure dart over the sand to help Tyr. His gut tightened and his heart sank. Matter- of-factly, he whispered, "Take your shot."
Tom began crawling along the beach towards Mack, his face hanging low to the ground. All of a sudden he stopped, a heavy boot appearing before his nose. The silver buckles gleamed in the moonlight. Tom s.h.i.+vered. Looking up, he stared into the motionless gaze of the undead. The creature shot forward, his pale hands grabbing the mortal man"s throat. The vampire hauled Tom up to his awaiting mouth.
A shot rang out, whizzing past Jaden"s shoulder. It burned into her, causing her to pause in her progress across the beach. In the distance, she heard a man scream as he was tossed down from a tree. She knew instinctively that the gunman was dead.
As Tom died, he watched a small horde of dark beings come out from the shadows. They pa.s.sed by, going to the other soldiers around Tyr, grabbing their victims to drink. The vampire at his neck tore, sucking before tossing him to the ground like garbage.
Tom wheezed in dying horror, his eyes focusing forward to the back taillights of Mack"s car as the man abandoned them.
"No!" Jaden yelled, throwing herself at Rick. Rick swung down, his stake hitting her in the shoulder above her heart. Jaden gasped with the pain of it. Rick"s eyes cleared from the battle haze. He paled, pulling his mask from his features. Reaching out, he caught her to his chest.
"Jade," he began confused. Rick eased her tenderly to the ground. Desperately, he tried to stem the flow of her blood. "What have you done?"
Tyr felt the stake inside of her as if it had been his own body. The hands of the ambush weighed in on him only to be suddenly lifted by an unseen force. Tyr tore the net from his back. He scanned the distance. Before him was s.h.i.+va, leading Ares, Osiris, and Aleksander into battle. They fought the mortals, killing them easily, littering the beach with the dead. The battle was won before it really started.
The echoing pain in his shoulder drew his eyes down to Jaden. Rick was next to her, cradling her head in his lap. Tyr growled, sensing the blood that was coming from the wound.
Rick glanced around in horror. He"d seen Mack abandon his niece, abandon them all. He"d heard the shot and saw the b.l.o.o.d.y streak of it across Jaden"s arm. Leaning protectively over Jaden, he silently swore not to let her get taken again by the undead monsters that surrounded them.
"Pull it out," Jaden demanded, her voice hoa.r.s.e with pain.
"No," Rick whispered, glancing down at her in surprise. "You might bleed to death."
Jaden chuckled bitterly. The sound caught his attention and he looked fully at her. Her eyes glowed up at him. Rick froze, seeing the truth of what she had become. He pushed her from his lap and scrambled away.
"Oh, no," he murmured, desperate, pleading at the injustice of what she had become. "No, Jade."
"Pull it out," she demanded again. When he didn"t move, she grabbed the stake herself, trying to weakly paw at it. A hand reached from above, lifting it from her skin. The wound began to close. She saw Tyr throw the b.l.o.o.d.y stake aside. His eyes bore angrily into her.
Hiding his torment at seeing her hurt and knowing she had taken the stake meant for him, he said bitterly, "d.a.m.n it, you fool! Do you think to get out of your judgment so easily?"
Rick backed away. The undead victors gathered silently around Tyr and the fallen young one. One by one their eyes turned to the mortal man.
"What of him?" Aleksander asked with a sneer. His straight, black hair blended perfectly with the night. His teeth parted, ready to bite on command.
"Take him," Tyr ordered. "He is one of MacNaughton"s leaders. The council might want to question him."
Rick tried to protest, but his lips never opened. Aleksander swiftly moved forward, knocking the mortal over the head with his fist. Rick"s world went black. Aleksander tossed the man over his strong shoulder as if he weighed no more than a child"s rag doll.
"The boatman," s.h.i.+va said, his chin jutting down the coast. "His throat is slit."
"There is another," Ares said, coming forward. His dark blue eyes glittered with the light of battle. "Come. We will reach the council tonight."
"And what of this one?" Aleksander whispered, motioning down to Jaden. Her eyes were closed, but she was still awake. Hearing the words, she blinked, looking up at them.
Tyr lifted his hand over Jaden"s face. Her eyes rounded in horror as the others did the same. They leaned over her, blocking out the stars with their unsympathetic expressions.
"She will sleep," Tyr stated, "so that she may never find her way back here."
Mack frantically paced the length of his immense hotel suite, marching to the dresser and then back to his suitcase with an armload of clothing. Feeling Pietro on the balcony, he stiffened and turned his stricken face to the thin gla.s.s door. He saw movement through the white gauze of the curtains. The lock unlatched in the breeze, the door coming slowly open with a measured creak.
Pietro glided forward, his eyes taking in the suitcase and Mack"s agitated frown. Lifting his hand, the door shut behind him without touching it, leaving them alone in the room.
"All my men are dead," Mack whispered. He went to the dresser for another load of clothing. "I am getting off this island."
"What of your niece?" Pietro questioned.
A wave of guilt racked Mack"s body, forcing him to close his eyes. Sniffing, he wiped his nose. "She"s dead. I kno--"
"She lives," Pietro broke in.
Mack gulped in surprise. Shaking his head, he said, "There is nothing I can do for her. She is within that fortress. She is as good as dead."
Pietro didn"t argue. Lightly, he admitted, "It is likely she will be tortured and killed."
Mack stiffened. Turning his hateful gaze on the old vampire, he scowled, "How did this happen? I did everything you told me!"
"The Dark Knights interference was an unfortunate--"
"Unfortunate?" Mack yelped in ire. "It was more than unfortunate! Why didn"t you warn me? I could"ve been killed and then our plans ruined. Why did you betray me?"
"I had no time to warn," Pietro said, his lifeless eyes stating that if Mack died, his plans would go on without him.
"Then you did know," the man accused "I was told, yes," Pietro said. He watched Mack slam his suitcase shut and begin to latch it. His dark eyes narrowed, as he said, "You are not leaving. Jaden might be lost, but our plan continues."
"What about Tyr?" Mack cried. "What about the others? You never warned me of them! They slaughtered my men within seconds."
"Yes," Pietro said calmly. "I imagine they would have."
Mack fumed. Falling wearily, he sank onto the bed and abandoned his packing. He realized he had no choice. If he defied Pietro he wouldn"t last the night. It was only with the vampire"s warnings that he lasted so many years.