Cyrus snarled and hissed a low growl. Dangerous territory.
“Cain did right by killing his brother. Because of that act, he met Lilith and became powerful. They created what people called vampires, now evolved into Lamias. I wouldn’t have been able to create my people had it not been for Cain. He is out there somewhere. Perhaps with Lilith. We with visions and dreams are the true makers of this world. You know nothing, little girl, and you should shut your mouth.”
I didn’t. I had to know. I wanted Eli to hear the horrible things Cyrus had done. My Eli already knew the dark side of Cyrus, but that new Eli standing emotionless, I had no idea if he cared for anything. Having no choice, I backed away. Several demons off to my right moved in front of me, blocking my way to Eli with a flick of Cyrus’s finger. I pointed my sword and bow at them. They hissed but continued to be threatening with swords pointed at me.
Surprisingly, Cyrus kept talking. “I did not kill for love, but instead killed for retaliation, mistrust, and disloyalty. Eli’s father, Eligor, my eldest half-brother, was high and mighty like your father, if not more. We shared the same ruthless father and the same vision, to control all the possessor demons that had escaped from the Snow Queen’s wrath. Then we were to build our army by creating them from supernatural teens, old enough to be independent but young enough to be persuaded—or we’d steal their minds. Half-human teens are so gullible. Insufferable, pathetic beings, so needy and whiny.”
I scoffed, having a difficult time swallowing his words.
“Then things started to change for the worse when Eligor met Ikelia,” he continued, his eyes drifting to the past as he shoved his hands inside the pockets of his dark pants. “He was supposed to get the witches on our good side, whomever was left. For revenge, the Snow Queen killed all original Elementum except for three: Lilith, Vince, whom I convinced to be on my side, and the third, who I have not been able to detect till this day. So we became friends with Ikelia and three other witches whose powers were bestowed by the Snow Queen herself through their crystal necklaces.”
Milani’s mother came to mind. She was one of them Cyrus had hunted.
“And if they didn’t cooperate, we were to slaughter them. But my dear brother fell in love, so deeply he forgot our cause, and even forgot me,” he sneered. “He told me the plan was over, to go and live in peace, that we were wrong.” His brow furrowed, his nose twitched, his lips thinned in rage. “That only made me furious. Instead of killing, I used my charm and got the witches to trust me. I even tricked my brother. Eligor thought I had changed my ways, but I didn’t.”
I side stepped toward the carving of two knights on a horse, the symbol for Knights Templar, and wondered if my team had followed Jacques and Geoffroi to find where they had hidden the little ark and Aaron’s staff. I certainly didn’t want them to come back in search of me. It would be like coming back to a trap. Cyrus pushed off the pillar and glided toward Eli, no footsteps echoing on the stone. The demons surrounding Eli scurried away like rats.
“One by one…” Cyrus held out a dagger, hitting that precise spot in the sun. The dagger beamed shiny and blinded me for a split second. “I hunted them down and killed them. I saved Milani’s mother for last, but Ikelia was with child. I didn’t know it until the child was born. She was clever to hide Eli from me. But I am wiser, for I had many centuries ahead of her. Finally, when I caught up to her, I realized I did care for her. Had she picked me, I might have turned my ways. Had she loved me, Eli would have been my son.”
He began to caress Eli’s hair. “I treated him like a son once I broke through Ikelia’s protection spell and found him. A beautiful boy awaited me. In some ways, he looked like a younger version of myself. So I took him as my own instead of killing him. Ikelia never knew I had marked him by drinking his blood and giving him mine.” He lit a triumphant smile. “Of course I confessed my love for her, but she laughed at me. I guess she didn’t like that I’d killed her lover, my half-brother, the one who betrayed me. Everyone you love will betray you. Nothing good lasts forever.”
“What do you want from me?” I asked, afraid of what the answer might be.
Cyrus began to circle around Eli. With that ugly smirk on his face, he said simply, “To watch you die.”
I whipped around and drove my sword across the demon’s gut. Nothing happened. I’d forgotten I could only vanquish them when they were fighting back. With my other hand, I willed my bow. Silvery light went straight to the second demon coming at me with a sword. It shrieked in pain and vanished into the thin air. Then I whirled my wings.
In battle form, they were sharper than my sword. I had become a slicing fan, and they fell into my trap. Vaporing dark mist turned into black ashes, floated around me like snow, and then disappeared before they fell to the ground. I stopped when none came at me, but that was short lived. I ducked and rolled next to the pew. Pushing off the pew to give me momentum, I soared across to the other side. The door. I needed to get out the door to the open area. Why hadn’t I listened to Eli’s warning?
When I reached for the door, demons blocked my way. There were too many of them. I could fight them, but then more would come. There was no way. I couldn’t fight them all by myself. I flashed my eyes to Eli who remained cold as a statue and hadn’t even blinked since Cyrus arrived. Backing away, I shot several demons with my bow. I had no plan until I glanced at the window. The sun was much lower, and dusk settled in. I would hate to destroy something precious, made by hard labor and the artistry of men, full of rich history and mystery, but if my life depended on it, I would burst through it.
Cyrus raised his hand. The demons stopped closing in on me. My heart eased a bit from its galloping pace, but I knew better than to tame it. Cyrus pressed his hands on Eli’s shoulders, his eyes filled with mischief, and whispered, “You’ve been wanting this for so long. This is your chance. Catch the little dove that’s been haunting your waking hours and cut her till her blood runs no more.”
As if those words were his cue, Eli raised his head, and his deathly eyes centered on me. His razor fangs seemed sharper, and his wings…those beautiful, deadly wings shot out, filling the nave that seemed too small for him.
I backed away, fearing for my life. “Eli. Fight it,” I urged, backing away more. “Fight it,” I said louder, more desperate, willing my weapons away. I would not hurt him. First I’d try to reach into the depths of his mind.
With a growl that pierced my ears, Eli came for me with the speed of lightning that had finally been released.
Chapter 22
Lucia
I braced myself to fight off Eli, hoping to escape his bite, and somehow miraculously escape with him, but of course those were wishful thoughts. But no fangs penetrated me, not a single part of my body bitten … nothing. Instead, my stomach dropped and something soft enveloped me as we traveled through utter darkness, tumbling, whirling through the fast breeze. I had no idea where we were or where we were headed, and I had no idea which Eli was holding me. Then we halted in a place still and quiet, what I imagined death would be like when I crossed over.
Calm, peace, and tranquility filled me in the absolute darkness dotted with sparkling lights. Stars! Stars were everywhere. So many of them, everywhere I glanced. We were in the middle of outer space. He took us there, but why? Too afraid to look at Eli, I let my eyes bounce from one light to the other as I resumed the awareness of Eli’s black wings blending into the darkness. They had imprisoned me.
“Look at me, Lucia.” His voice rasped low but soft.
I couldn’t.
“I’m not a monster,” he murmured.
My broken heart shattered a little bit more to hear those words, and I said simply, “No, you’re not.” I swallowed and met his gaze. No fangs, no damned, crimson eyes, just those beautiful soulful eyes I loved and that sexy smirk plastered on his face so proud, so confident, and then his eyes glistened against the heavenly stars. He was not a monster but a savior. He took Milani in and cared for her when h
er mother died at the hands of the true monster. I would never forget that.
His peers looked up to him, respected him, not just as a former high school quarterback jock, but someone with a beautiful heart. He would do anything for his friends, the people he loved despite himself, and I was one of them.
“I thought…I thought…” I couldn’t find the right words as we floated in the middle of space backed by dazzling diamonds in the sky, a huge distraction. “I thought you were going to kill me. I thought Cyrus held your mind. What happened?”
“I made him believe that he had. Every time he entered my mind and tried to control me hurt like a mother fu—” He blinked. “I mean hurt beyond anything imaginable, like he’s clawing my brain. The harder I fight, the harder he pushes. I’m not going to lie to you. He did take hold of me, but I saved my strength and my power until just before he commanded me to kill you.”
I had no words. I had seen everything unfold in front of me. “I…why did you bring me here? I mean it’s beautiful, but why here?” I glanced around again. Earth being the size of a tennis ball and the far distance we had traveled in a matter of seconds were unfathomable. It had proved the emergence of great powers and took his newfound abilities to a different level.
“Cyrus would never look here. It wouldn’t even cross his mind. I just want this moment with you, where you and I are the only two in the universe. Every time I think of you, which is every second of the day, and every time I’m near you, my heart becomes a glowing star.”
My heart exploded as I took in his words and marveled at him, smiling like a school girl in love. Eli relaxed his shoulders and eased his wings. Still holding each other, we gravitated in the direction he leaned, gliding, swaying, and floating at his whim. I smiled, and a small laugh floated out of me. It had been a while since my heart eased, and I made a happy sound.
Eli traced a finger over my lips. “I’ve missed those lips.” He made an idle circle around my face. “I’ve missed that smile, and I missed the way you are looking at me right now.”
When he pulled me closer, my wings stretched out, touching every part of his wings as if two hands pressed into each other. I’d never felt such intimacy, as if we were pressing our naked bodies together. As Eli wrapped his arms around my waist, protective and unyielding, he locked his eyes on mine. Our wings pressed together, communicating how we felt for each other—patting, stroking, teasing, caressing. I could almost feel his lips devouring mine, until I didn’t have to think about it anymore. His lips conquered mine in the moment of that thought.
Black on white, white on black, I didn’t know where we began or ended as we drifted through the endless starry night, through a vast sea of stars that seemed to sparkle even more as we passed on, creating a silent symphony of our song. Eli’s kisses grew intense, controlling, and he demanded more. So I parted my lips to let him in, and his tongue danced with mine while his strong hands held me tighter. Oh my heavenly stars. I saw stars. They were in my mind and in front of me.
“Lucia,” he moaned as his kisses intensified, as if every kiss were our last.
“Eli,” I whispered into his mouth. “Come home with me,” I managed to say through his rough kisses.
Eli broke away from me, leaving me panting, and dipped further back, carrying me with him. My body pressed on top of his as we swirled through the kaleidoscope of the sun and moon and infinite stars. Silvery orbs streamed in long streaks and cascaded around us like neon lights. I let out a small giggle of delight and Eli burst with happiness. Loud chuckles sounded so soft in the titanic space. The galaxy. The mystery of life. Humans crave to understand it, to seek it, to conquer it, but they cannot.
When Eli started to slow down, I knew our little escape was about to end.
“I have to go.” Eli pressed his forehead against mine.
I smacked his wings with mine to let him know I wasn’t happy.
“We can’t stay here forever,” he tried. “You need to find the missing page and the clue so we can find the third page.”
“I know.” I sighed, lacing my fingers through the thickness of his feathers. They felt similar to mine, soft and silky. I thought I heard a low, gruff moan. “Thank you for bringing me here,” I continued after I found my words again. “Thank you for this time together, but most of all thank you for not killing me.”
Eli snorted. “I’m a lot stronger than Cyrus thinks and maybe a bit wiser. I have my mom to thank for that.”
“Do you still have your necklace your mom gave you?”
He reached for it. “Yes. No one can touch it or take it off except for the owner. I believe this necklace helped me not to fully turn into the monster Cyrus is. I don’t know anymore. A part of me loves my wings. I’m stronger and faster, but at what cost? I’ll fight it, Lucia. I’ll fight it for you. So, please, don’t give up on me.”
I wrapped my wings around him and tugged him closer. His words burned through my heart. “Never. I will be what you need. I will be your strength. I will be your anchor. I will be the light to your darkness. I’ll never give up on you, Eli.”
His eyes beamed, and a tiny tear escaped. Cupping my face, he said, “Thank you.”
“I don’t want to go just yet. Give me five more minutes.”
“I can’t,” he pressed, his voice going somber. “Cyrus is looking for me.”
“But…” I was being selfish. We were racing against time and Cyrus, not to mention my team must be worried sick about me, but I didn’t want to go back, not yet. I had so many questions, and I wanted to hold onto him a bit longer. There were no promises of tomorrow or the future. So I complied and tucked in my wings, ready to astral travel back. I made a mental note to ask him to take me back home.”
“But…” he said, giving me that wicked grin that oozed sex appeal. “I’m not going to leave you here. I’ll take you—”
Then we were gone.
The sweetest scent filled my nose. Lights replaced darkness after I landed on something soft. I’d thought Eli would leave me there and be gone, but he stood behind me with his wings cocooning me half way. Splashes of purple, red, orange, yellow, blue, and pink surrounded us. Hydrangea, hibiscus, lilies, marigolds, petunia, sunflowers, and heather, to name a few, decorated the land, taller than in the human world.
“It’s beautiful here.” I purred from Eli caressing my arm and listened to his heart drumming in rhythm with mine, faster and faster, the longer we stayed pressed together. An undeniable attraction ready to detonate, and I could no longer fight the human emotions when we were together.
I leaned my head back to his shoulder and marveled at the sun radiating through the two snowcapped mountains, painting the sky red, orange, and yellow. I didn’t know where we stood or if it was dusk or dawn. Around me, plush rolling hills stood protectively like giant walls.
“Milani’s mother used to bring us here when she thought Cyrus was close by,” Eli said. “This isn’t a place in the human realm. It’s somewhere between.”
“I know.” I faced him and backed away to take all of him in.
With the sun kissing the tip of his head, gilding his wings, he looked like a statue of the god of darkness. Dangerous, yet somehow soft and gentle from the somber expression he showed.
“You know where we are?” He cocked his brow and tucked his wings when he noticed I stared at them.
I’m an idiot. But I couldn’t help myself. Though his wings were menacing and dark, they were magnificent, and he was gorgeous. As long as he didn’t give his soul to Cyrus, Eli would not be damned, black wings and all.
“Yes,” I answered. “My parents used to bring us here when we were younger. It’s called the Garden of Hope.”
Eli curled his lips and his eyes roamed all over my body, studying, assessing. “Perhaps if the timing was right, we might have run into each other.”
“Perhaps.” I shrugged, feather-lightly tracing the petals of the lavender hibiscus. “Or, perhaps not.”
He lifted a brow. “Really???
?
I weaved around a section of ferns. “Tell me before we have to part. Is there anything you learned of Cyrus or his plan?”
“Oh, so I’m your spy now?” He smirked.
I scowled. I knew he was pretending to be sarcastic with me, but I didn’t appreciate it, especially when I didn’t want him in the hands of Cyrus. “You will be what I want you to be.” I challenged.
He perked his lips, no doubt enjoying our little banter. “That may be true. You have me wrapped around your delicious little finger.”
I swallowed and heat rose to my face, recalling the time he sucked on my finger. Curving around the sunflowers, I said, “Did you know Cyrus loved your mom?”
He stopped inching toward me. “Yes. I know more than he thinks I know. Being stuck inside the volcano with Cyrus and his people, I’ve kept my ears open as much as I could.” He paused, his eyes growing darker. “No more talking, Lucia. I have to go. I let Milani know I’m here. Your family is on their way.”
“Eli, stay, please.” My desperate tone betrayed me when my voice cracked.
“I can’t.” He dipped his head. “I will put all of you in danger. At least this way, you can find the treasures, and I can keep all of you safe from the other side by being the spy.” He grinned. “Cyrus knows the page is hidden in Rosslyn Chapel. He had his demons follow you, so he knows you need the little ark and Aaron’s staff to release the page. But he can’t track Jacques de Molay, thanks to my mom. So Cyrus can’t astral travel to him, but he can send Mortem or Vince.”
“The ones locked up behind bars in the volcano, they are the missing children, aren’t they?”
“Yes. He’s creating an army of mixed breed demons, Lamias, and Elementa. He’s preparing for war.”
“How does he turn them?”
“The old fashioned way. Mortem or Vince bites the victim and then kills him or her. After they are reborn, they drink human blood.”