Indie had a come back already on deck, but she lost it because he’d confused her. “Why do you keep calling her that? Sabien, River Sabien. Line of what?”
Phoenix let her go and manifested on the side of the bed leaning forward on his knees trying to rub the stress out of his eyes.
Oh, dear Creator, I’d seen this stance before, Indie thought to herself. It was dominant in their life on the other side. This is what they did, dressed fancy, had dinners with the purpose of negotiation then came back to their room and debated it out. Phoenix leaning forward like that with that look in his eyes, the weight of the world on his shoulders…that was all too familiar to her. He knew more, but he didn’t know how to handle what he knew.
“What is it?”
“Stuff is just coming back, memories from our life over there.”
“Bad stuff?” Indie asked edging closer to him.
“Those two were a sin on that side.”
“Who?”
“Mason and her. At least here, even if they’re guardians of different souls, they have a shot.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Over there we were middle ground. The Falcon name was. There were different sides to that world. Different beliefs. All of them, though, believed that Allurest were sacred.”
“What the hell are those?” Indie asked as she searched her memories for a foothold on that terminology. She was too pumped up to grasp one.
“Gifted beings. They can see into the future. They’re present at all births and see the future of the soul, that would be remarkable on this side, but over there it’s astounding because the lifespan is what this world would call immortal. Life has an end, a death, but it takes entireties to reach.”
“River was on of those?”
“She was in the care of The Selected. Was the one that stood next to the leader of The Selected.”
“Mason was with us there, though, your cousin.”
One nod. “They were having an affair, we knew, or rather I knew, but we didn’t say anything. In some way, it helped us to get Guardian through The Fall the first time. When we approached The Selected, they asked for a day to consider, meaning to seek the advice of their trusted Allurest.”
“You think she persuaded them?”
“I don’t think that she would have done so because it was a risk, but I don’t think it hurt our position.”
“An affair…” Indie said to herself.
“I only called it that because Allurest can not lose their purity. They were together longer than us. I built this manor where I built it so he could see her, so they would have a safe meeting ground. I didn’t want them to be punished for loving one another.” He cursed as he looked away. “The fact that they did love one another, that he held her and she was still able to see across not only time, but also through The Fall to the path of the souls on this side, meant that our beliefs on that side, at least some of them, were full of air. Which is why we fought for each to have an open mind.”
“They thought if Allurest found love they would not see? Seriously?”
“They thought Allurest were angels. Purity. They could not be touched.”
“Oh, my…”
“Right, love. I’m still not clear on how you packed up and brought this manor over, but I’m betting that Seneca was the one that put the library downstairs.”
“You’re sure that’s her?”
“Mason would know before I would. I never spoke to her. I saw her often, though.”
“He would have said so if he remembered her.”
“Would he? He can’t see clearly what happened over there. It’s more about energy and emotions. Coming through The Fall will alter memories. Living over here, dying and being reborn, that is going to push the facts further away. I mean hell, I’ve never completely died, and I can’t remember every detail of it. That would be like asking a child to remember their first steps. Obviously they took those steps because they can now walk, but the day, the moment is meant for others to remember.”
“Others? Like parents?”
“Right, others we don’t have in this situation, we just have the library and emotions.”
“How tragic,” Indie breathed as she sat at his side. Her heart was breaking for the pair of them.
“They’re both here now, that alone confuses me. I have no idea why she would have come through with you. Seems like she would have more control on that side. She could have sent us dreams or markers in our life.”
“My take is she’s meant to be here.”
“But has she been where she’s meant to be is the issue.”
Indie’s eyes questioned him.
“The scent. The reason you and I were going down there in the first place tonight was because the scent belongs to an Escort.”
The second they came back from dinner with The Reaper. Phoenix went ridged. He told Indie to go to her room while he checked something out. Of course, that didn’t fly with her and both of them were going down to the basement to figure out what was going on, that’s when they came face to face with River.
Indie’s whole body seized because she hated Escorts, she truly did. To think that another one was in her house was enough to engulf her with rage.
Phoenix put his hand on her knee. “That Escort hasn’t marked River, but I can sense his energy within her, at the very least they’re friends. I’m betting more.”
“River’s hooking up with an Escort? Mason’s soul mate hooked up with an Escort in my basement!”
“I’m pretty sure the warning label Mason put on her stopped any infidelities tonight.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Phoenixes are very territorial, Escorts are, too. In most cases both breeds of souls are singular, never really settle because they’re so aggressive and wouldn’t dare risk having someone as a target. Somehow, between the time River arrived and tonight, Mason had marked River by sending his energy through her, claiming her. It’s not a flaming flag, maybe because she’s in denial, but it’s there. If the mark is ever in place, it’s serious business, touching or even thinking of touching a claimed mate is an act of war.”
No wonder he’d said the last thing we needed was another male is this situation. “Ben said that Mason was there when River was knocked out in the driveway, he could have been just trying to stop the pain.”
Phoenix smirked. “The human part of him was, no doubt, but the Phoenix in his soul knew exactly what it was doing. It’s a carnal mark, one that all males will sense, even human ones will sense it.”
“How come you’re acting like that is bad? They had a life on the other side and in this one.”
“Sure they did. But somewhere in between there and now an Escort from a line, that as far as I know, is not even in this war, decided River was someone he wanted to keep around.”
Now Indie was the one leaning forward on her knees. She had done her best to understand this war—the purpose of the Seven sisters and that apparently she was one of them and failed.
“Whoever he was he came and left, that says a lot, he would have taken River otherwise.”
“Can we block him? Can Skylynn put a spell or something to keep him away from River?”
“What are you trying to do? Force this on them?” he asked with a raised brow and a smirk.
“I’m trying to give them a chance.”
“No. Nothing we can do can block him out. River is his conduit; she would have to block him. I don’t see that happening,” he said dismissively.
“Why are you not helping me figure this out? An Escort was here. An Escort!”
“Listen, love. Saige BellaRose, Skylynn’s mother, is not your everyday witch. Her said brother, Jamison BellaRose, is more than a coven leader. No one crosses that man without expecting a war, or death. He has to be aware of this Escort in River’s life. He’s allowed it which means the Escort that was here tonight is not a threat in the present.”
“How sure are you? Why woul
d Jamison care so much about River? Because of a coven?”
Phoenix moved his head side to side. “River called Saige an aunt. Saige only claims one brother,” his eyes met hers. “I think River is his.”
“You mean daughter?”
“Wild guess, but that’s where my gut is going.”
“Do you think they know something we don’t?”
“I have no doubt they knew Mason was here, and they still sent River, so they condone that as well. I don’t know what they know about this war. For all I know they sent River here to grasp what she knew in that past life.”
“We called her, though.”
“Did we? Or did Skylynn?”
“Phoenix.”
“Love, I’m going to get Skylynn free for you, but you have to understand that Skylynn is a shadowed soul. Her nature tells her to let things unfold, even if it means sending a flaming arrow into a barn. At the same time, she’s yearning for her soul mate. Those opposing sides might twist her, half the time I don’t even think she knows why she does what she does. She just runs on instinct.”
“We have to go up there and talk to them. We have to tell River that they were lovers on the other side, that this is bigger than them, and they have to get over this. It’s not Mason’s fault.”
“Love, breath.”
“No, I’m not going to breathe.”
“Close your eyes and take one breath.”
Fine. She did so.
“Tell me where Mason is right now.”
Indie was drawing a blank, a void. He was gone, holy hell he’d been taken! Indie shot up from her seat Phoenix clasped her arms.
“Why do you think you can’t sense him?”
Indie blushed as soon as she got it.
“He’s alone with her, engaged in some way, the only way for him to even sense you needed him would be if you were in danger. He’s cut you off, all of us, because he’s handling his business. Let the man do that.”
All the tension left her body, and she let a smile linger on her lips. Mason was a charmer. He had a way with his words, those eyes, even his little smile. If he managed to get her alone, this was said and done. Indie had never met anyone that could resist Mason, including herself.
Phoenix chuckled when he took in her expression.
“I just wanted them in the same room. If that happened, then we’re good.”
“We’ll see, hell itself could not even dare to match a woman scorned. Let them fight it out.”
They both stayed in their silent thoughts for a few moments, digesting the day.
“So, um, you think that Lord of Death, Camlin, is who we need to go after?” she asked.
“That seems to be the obvious path...frees Skylynn and our debt to her.”
Meaning he wasn’t sold on the matter. In his life, in Indie’s, the obvious was never the way to go, it was always the left field, never saw that coming way, that worked.
“He was at the front gate. We brought him here or something.” Just the idea of that gave Indie the creeps.
“That might explain why Shadowed souls are few and far between, he stopped creating them because he was trapped.”
“And now he’s not. Which means he’s either going to hurt Skylynn, or he’s going to make more like her.”
“I’m sure Skylynn’s mother has found a way to protect her from Camlin. And I find it odd that The Reaper put Cashton before you.”
“Why so?”
“Various reasons...” he said as his gaze stared into the distance. “To help him we’d have to take down a different Lord of Death, not Camlin.”
“Why not both?”
Her eagerness was either amusing him, or turning him on, Indie couldn’t tell which. “Love, there are too many dead. We have to pick one. Save the other for the next go ‘round... I have to make sure we have a place for all these dead that we’re going to release.”
“How about on to their next life.”
“Something like that...a baby boom” Phoenix quipped. “Some need to move on, some do not, that is not our place to decide, at least not with the non-supernatural ghosts. We need to open a passage to The Reaper, let him do his divine job. If we overwhelm him by taking down all these Lords at once, then someone else will steal the souls whilst they are waiting in line to be freed. We just need to choose our play carefully.”
“You think the answers are downstairs?”
“I think the answers lie in several places. Between Guardian, Draven, me, you, those texts—everyone holds a piece of this puzzle.” He offered as he reached his arm around her. I’ll sort it out in a bit, I want to rest with you now, let you get some energy out, balance it.”
“Sure, we should lock ourselves in this room to calm me down,” she said with an arched brow, knowing exactly what was on his mind.
He let out a deep, sensual laugh as his hand moved up her leg. “It’s a tough job keeping you calm, but I’m up for it.”
“I don’t want to be calm until this is solved.”
“You need to be calm in the AM.”
Her stare questioned hm. “Sophia’s wake, you and the boys have to go to that. The human front you are portraying has to play out as well.”
Indie lowered her gaze. She hadn’t forgotten about the wake. Time just doesn’t balance like it did before she transformed.
“Go be human in the morning. Maybe I’ll have some answers by the time you come home. Until then,” he said as moved her across the bed. “Let me love you.”
She pulled his lips to hers and turned off the world and the war around them.
Chapter Thirteen
River and Mason never said another word after she told him that Jamison was her father and that in some past Jamison had been an Escort, a fallen dark angel, and now wasn’t. Or that in some way the pull, the dark energy was within her soul. She expected Mason to question her, ask for proof, tell her it didn’t matter, that he was killing other Escorts, something, but no words came.
The silence lulled her, the surge of the emotions had wiped her out. She was human after all, apparently the only one in this manor. When River woke up that morning in her dorm room, the last place on the planet she expected to be by the end of the day was beside Mason. It was too much to handle in retrospect.
She lay back on the bed. A few minutes later, she felt him crawl next to her. He kept space between them, like he only wanted to watch over her while she rested, but in the haze between awake and dreaming River reached her arm back for him. He pulled her into the cage of his arms, his front to her back, his breath on her neck, the fire of his being cocooning her. That was how she fell asleep. The way she had dreamed of falling asleep for years.
There was hell between them, emotions that had barely reached the surface, but right then she didn’t care to think about them. She was scared. She was away from home, away from what she knew was safe and he was familiar. He was a connection, someone that she knew no matter what would keep her safe.
He was gone when she woke the next morning.
She laid in her massive bed thinking over the night before, his reasons, the look in his eyes. She should’ve known there was a reason he was pushing her away, that it was worse at home than he led her to believe. That is just how Mason is, though. To the world, to those that do not know him, he’s always calm, cool, and collected under pressure. He was the fun one, the one that could take the edge off at any moment. Only a few knew his other side, the side that came out when things like family stirred up his emotions.
River hated herself because she craved his kiss, she craved feeling him against her and despised herself for shutting him down, yet at the same time she was proud of herself, it took more willpower than she had ever been known to have.
Dagen was heavy on her thoughts, too. She always knew he was cut from a different mold than the rest of the male population, that he was like a fine wine that had been aged to perfection and rarely let his feathers get ruffled. But she never thought he’d be this mature about Ma
son, about whatever mark he thought was on River.
Dagen asked for her friendship. He was never going to lose it, whether she flew home in a few days and never saw Mason again, or if by some fluke Mason and River found a way around this universe between them. Dagen had proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that he cared about her and that he wanted her in his life no matter what. At the end of the day, they shared a common goal, keep Raven safe.
River didn’t even bother to touch the food that was brought to her suite. Her nerves were too out of whack. At any second she was expecting Mason, Gavin, or her to knock on her door. She wasn’t ready for any of those conversations.
She took the hottest shower known to man and got dressed. She thought about shining herself up a bit, dressing like she was going out with the girls, but she wasn’t one to play games. ‘Take me as I am, or screw you’, was her motto.
She pulled on her favorite jeans, a cami, and a cut short Marilyn top. Done. Ready to go to work.
Her phone ringing pulled her out of her thoughts. It was still on the charger in the bedroom. She all but ran there thinking it was Jamison giving her a way out of there or another lead to chase with the texts.
It was one of her numbers, Raven calling to get the scoop, no doubt.
River answered on the third ring. “You’re relentless,” she said.
“Spill it.”
Not Raven.
Ash.
Awesome.
“Spill what?”
“Don’t.”
“Don’t what?”
“Pull out the deflection card. I know you hopped on a private jet without even sending a text to me and flew right into Mason’s arms. What’s going down?”
“I flew here to go over ancient text. Mason happened to be here.”
“Who are you hooking up with? Or was Mason in your face and you threw that one out there?”
Not good. They didn’t know about Dagen and didn’t need to.
“What are you talking about?”
“Mason called Soren last night and wanted to know who you were with.”
Why would he do that if I told him? Unless, unless that was beforehand. Was he spying on me? Reading my thoughts? Mother of all fates, please do not let that be true!