“Where shall we go next?” Di's voice takes on the affectionate tone you might use with a young child. She has never used it on me.
“Anywhere you want. Paris?”
“I went to Paris twenty years ago. How about China? It's been at least seventy years since I was last there.”
“China,” he says in her ear. They embrace. I close my eyes and wait for Ava.
Ava
“Your heart is very loud,” Ivan calmly observes. It's so weird that he is running so hard, but not breathing at all.
“I'm sorry?” My voice has gotten stronger, as has my body. I can lift my head and keep my eyes open now. Progress! My heart races because I'm thinking about Peter and how much I want him, miss him and want to punch him for doing this to me. But most of all I want to kiss the daylights out of him and tell him that he should make me a noctalis ASAP, because I can't come and rescue him all the time.
“It's nice. Constant.” Once upon a time, Peter said the beat of my heart was nice. That was a very long time ago.
“You know you can't kill me.” I feel the need to remind him of this since he just talked about my beating heart. I'd like to keep it that way until the time I decided to become a noctalis, which shouldn't be too far in the future if I had anything to say about it. Also, if both of us got out of this mostly unscathed. I would not want to be scathed.
“Yes, love, I know.” He chuckles, which is a much nicer sound than his laugh, but still makes me wish I didn't have ears. I also wish he would stop calling me love. Endearments were reserved for Peter and my mother. Sometimes Jamie. Tex only used insults as endearments.
“What about Tex?”
“I believe Viktor is with her.” He pauses for a moment, looking down at me as if to judge whether he should continue. I guess I am deemed worthy. “She looks remarkably like Adele, you know?”
“What?” No one had told me that. It certainly explained a lot. “You thought now, in the middle of the valiant rescue, now, was a good time to tell me that?”
“I was making conversation.”
“Well, talk about something else.”
“What shall I talk about?”
“I don't know.” I cast around my head for something, anything that wouldn't make me think about Peter. It is a really short list. “What are your opinions on nuclear proliferation? Or, uh, zombies. What is your opinion on the preparedness of humans for the zombie apocalypse?”
“Zombie apocalypse?”
“That's what I said.” Peter and I have never discussed it. Even though it is an important issue. I wait for him to answer.
“From what I have heard, surrounding the house with outward-facing treadmills is most popular, but the fly in that ointment would be constantly powering the treadmills,” he says.
I'm stunned, but only for a moment.
“Exactly! Since all the power will go down and everyone will probably be on generators. I've told Tex that a hundred times, but she just keeps going on about how you could stock up on generators ahead of time. But who does that? You can't prepare for the zombie apocalypse,” I say.
Turns out that Ivan is kind of a Chatty Cathy. Who knew? I mean, after the whole neck-squeezing incident, I would have told you he would as soon talk to me as ride a pink unicorn. Saddle up, cowboy.
As the pain recedes and I get giddier, Ivan gets more wary. I can tell the way his eyes dart and how he slows down a bit.
“Where the hell are we?” Somehow we'd crossed the highway three times, but had managed to avoid major cities and even residential areas.
“According to a sign a few miles back, Baltimore, Vermont.”
“I've never heard of it.”
“Neither have I.” He stops for a moment.
“What are you doing?”
“Stopping for a moment.”
“You didn't lose the trail, did you?”
“I am not sure.” I close my eyes. Fantastic. So much for the noble steed. I reach out to Peter.
“That way.” I close my eyes and point.
“Are you sure?”
“Yup. Don't question. Just run.” I open my eyes. He's looking at me in a way I can't figure out. I get the feeling that he is testing me. Just seeing if I could do it. I don't let on that I know. I close my eyes and hold on.
I give him directions the rest of the way. I think he goes wrong a few times on purpose, just to see if I will correct him. I can tell this isn't a selfless mission. He thinks he's getting something out of it. Well, everyone wants something. And he wants something from Peter. I can't even begin to wonder where he's going with that. The only thing that matters is Peter. Getting to him. We'll figure out the rest later.
When we go over the border into South Carolina, I know we aren't far. I am so stiff from my burrito position, and I really, really want to stretch my legs. It will have to wait and I hope that when the time comes for me to stand tall, my legs will carry me.
“What are we going to do when we find him?”
“I assumed you would have a plan.” Oh no, Peter is the one with the plan, but he didn't tell me what it is so I have to make one up as we go along. I'm going to punch him when we find him.
“We go in, we get Peter and we leave.”
“That is the plan?”
“So far. I don't like to plan too far ahead. What's the point when things never go the way they are supposed to?”
“That is a valid point. But I am sure they did not storm the Bastille or conduct the Civil War without a plan.”
“I'm sure the South had a plan during the Civil war and look how that turned out. Maybe if they just flew by the seat of their pants, they might not have lost the war.”
“Maybe. Maybe not.” The comment reminds me of something Peter might say. Peter. God I miss him.
When we're within a mile, Ivan slows way down.
“Can they hear us this far out?” I say it so softly my lips barely move. He shakes his head and then blinks. I guess that means maybe yes, maybe no. Best to take the precaution.
It takes minutes upon minutes to slowly make our way through the woods. It's different than Maine here. The trees are different, not as close together. The distant sounds of the highway reach my sensitive ears.
I focus on Peter, hoping I can hear him or something. I know he must know I am coming. If he could, like, go all ninja and free himself and run to me and we could have one of those slow-motion moments with running and kissing and twirling around and laughing, that would be awesome. It will not happen, but I have a brief moment when I imagine it. I try to send the image to Peter. As if I can do such a thing. But who knows?
I'm coming. I love you. I'm coming. I love you.
My heart sings and I feel as if I could sprout wings when we get really close. We probably should have discussed if we were going to go in with our guns blazing (so to speak) or if we were going to wave the white flag. I'm not really a white flag kind of girl. Guess Ivan isn't a white flag kind of guy. Noctalis.
He walks slowly, but doesn't try to hide or do something like that. I test the connection. Peter is nearby, but I can't see him. I tug harder. He tugs back. I look down. Oh. I jab at Ivan and point to the ground. He nods. I study the ground in the increasing light. We're going to have to do this fast, or else I'm not going to get home. That would be a fine situation if we got out of this and then were busted by my parents. Worry about it later.
Ivan puts me down. I guess we're storming the Bastille.
Twenty-Seven
Peter
I feel her progress. Di goes out to hunt, leaving Cal to watch me. He does not try to talk, to explain. I do not ask him to. It would be pointless.
“I know about the bind.” I stay silent. “The bind you made with Di. To protect your human.”
I still do not answer. It has been my experience that to stay silent is the best course of action more often than not.
Never show all your cards.
“It was a foolish move, I think. But you did not know abou
t the bind that supersedes yours. The bind made at the time of transformation is stronger than any other bind you could ever make. When forced to fight against one another, the stronger bind will win out. But you did not know that, or else you would not have done it.” I cannot stop myself from asking the next question.
“Did Di know?” Even though I already knew the answer.
“Yes.” She had to have known. Well. She certainly put up a good act. I did not know she was that talented. She should win an award of some sort. Once again, Ava was right. I should give her an award.
“What was that?” Her heart has finally gotten close enough for him to hear. “A human.” He looks up at the shaft of morning light that falls through the opening of the cellar. There is no use denying it. “What is a human doing here at this time?” For the first time ever, he seems perturbed. It seems that Di brings out his emotions like Ava brings out mine.
“I do not know.”
He goes to the entrance and sticks his head into the air.
“It is your human. And she is not alone.”
I call out to her in my mind. Her soul calls my name and it is like an embrace. I want so much to see her, touch her, kiss her, and adore her.
Di must be close by. I hear her voice as she says, “Ivan, darling. What on earth are you doing here?” The ice is in her voice, but her tone is friendly.
“We're here for Peter. We want him back.” The sound of Ava's voice is almost my undoing. How could I have forgotten how lovely it is? It is, perhaps, the most beautiful sound in the entire world. Di cannot talk to Ava or look at her. I hear her moving away from Ava. I did not give parameters for the bind, but it seems to be working.
“Ivan, why are you here? With her?” She cannot talk directly to Ava. I enjoy that very much. Cal looks at me and then emerges. He doesn't do anything to stop me from doing the same. The sun is pleasant on my face after being underground. My eyes find her face and she beams the most brilliant smile at me. And I smile back. For the first time, I can smile without trying to.
Ava
Oh. My. God. He's here, he's here, he's here. I want to run to him and touch him and make sure he's all in one piece. Yes, I know he's immortal, but that doesn't stop me from making sure he's unharmed. Or at least that he's still generally okay.
“Peter.” I breathe his name, and everything inside me shatters. All the pain and the wanting and waiting. I want to jump on him so bad.
“Ava.” He breathes my name right back. He's still got the most glorious smile on his face that I don't think I'll ever forget as long as I live — which I hope will be a very long time.
“I am here on an errand. It is none of your concern.”
“It is my concern. You are my son. I don't let my children keep secrets from me.”
“Then you should have put that in the bind.” Oh snap. I have never been an Ivan fan, but I am starting to kind of like him. It would be a whole lot easier if it weren't for the almost strangle and the fact that he wants to destroy Peter. Other than that, we'd be buddies.
“What is he doing here?” Ivan says to Cal.
“I have come to support our mother. Unlike you.”
“She is not our mother,” Ivan snaps back. Feisty.
“You knew?” Peter says.
“Of course I did.” Ivan looks at him like he’s an idiot. And now he's back on my shit list.
“Why did you not tell me?”
“It did not matter at the time.” Guess I'm not the only one in the dark.
“It does now.”
“So it seems.”
“Can we go now? You guys can stay and chat, but I've got to get my beauty rest.” I yawn, which is totally unplanned, but totally works.
“Ivan, will you tell that human that she is not leaving with him. I will not let it happen.”
“And how are you going to stop me? None of you can touch me. You can't even look at me or you'll crumble into a pile of dust, which might not be a bad look for you.” I stare right at her. I feel her flinch and look away. Oh, I am enjoying this. It's sick, really. Ivan pinches my back through the blanket.
I walk to Peter and finally give him my hello. I let the blanket fall away from me, which exposes skin that they can't touch. My hands go around his neck and I pull him in. He resists for a moment and I don't understand it. What is he doing? And what about Ivan and the whole promise thing? I shut my brain off for a moment and kiss him with everything I have. He gives it back to me. Tenfold. It's perhaps the sexiest kiss I'll ever have. Tongue and lip nibbling and hands in hair and pressing bodies.
“Ivan. Come to me. Bring her.” Di's voice is like a being dunked in an ice cold pond in January.
“No,” he says, stepping away from her.
“What did you say?”
“No.” He looks at me one more time. His eyes are deep and haunted. Then he winks. And he's gone. I scream, because it's a very troubling thing to see a person wink at you and then crumble into ashes. A wind comes out of nowhere and sweeps most of them away.
A brilliant sound fills the air around us. Di. She screams on and on as Peter puts his hands on my ears. It doesn't do much to stop the sound. I guess noctali can't cry. But talk about the cry of the banshee. My eyes tear up a little bit, even though I hated him most of the time. He'd brought me here and he'd sacrificed himself for me. I hold onto Peter. I turn around to see his face. It is still and not in a good way. Di stops keening. Finally.
“You did this to him, Peter. You killed your brother. For her.”
“Yes.”
“And you will keep killing. For her.”
“Yes.”
“When will it end? Would you try to kill Cal? Me? You cannot kill your mother, Peter. Not if you love me.” Cal is silent, watching. I wish he'd go to hell.
“Are you crazy? Don't listen to her.”
“You should listen to me, Peter. She will destroy you, too. I can't have that. Do you love me?” He looks at me and then over my head at her.
“Yes.”
“Then do what has to be done.”
“It will not end. I will do what she asks. It will only be a matter of time.”
I meet Peter's eyes and I can almost hear the wheels churning. He's sending me vibes, but I can't quite make them out.
“I am sorry, Ava. I must do this.”
“What? What are you doing?”
“Are you going to kill her at last?”
“Yes. I can no longer fight the bind.” Di shrieks with delight. It isn't that different than her wail of sorrow.
“What are you talking about?” What the hell?! Peter takes my arm, not roughly but strongly. “Peter.” I know this can't be happening, that this is some plan he's got going that I'm just not in on.
He pulls me tight against him, and I think he's going to fly with me until he sinks his teeth into my neck. It isn't gentle this time and it's not on my wrist. I try not to scream, but it seems like the thing to do. I can feel him sucking the life from my body. Just before I think I'm going to pass out, he pulls back and whispers something so low I can barely hear it.
“Adore.”
Here’s a sneak peek at Neither (The Noctalis Chronicles, Book Three), available now…
One
Ava
I wake with my face pressed against something smooth and soft. It's not warm, whatever it is, but it feels familiar. Opening my eyes seems like a lot of work, so I don't bother. Instead, I focus on breathing. There is a wonderful scent around me. Something cool and sharp. Wintergreen?
“Ava?” a voice speaks in my ear. The voice is also familiar and conjures memories of a face with dark hair falling in front of it. Two eyes — one green, one blue — and a set of blacker-than-night wings.
Peter.
I open my eyes and am met by a wall of black feathers. I turn my head, trying to find a way out.
“Peter?”
“Ava.”
A little light enters the feather cave, and I realize I'm under the shelter of Pete
r's wings. I am also pressed to his bare chest. It takes me way too long to realize this. It also takes me a little bit longer to realize that I should be dead right now. My hand goes to my neck, where he bit me. My fingers find a piece of gauze.
“What happened?” I ask the stupidest question ever.
“Many things.”
Of course, he's going to be Mr. I-don't-want-to-burden-your-weak-human-brain-with-big-important-things-you-can't-understand. Yeah, that's not gonna fly. I may be weak, but I'm not stupid.
“Could you give me a play-by-play and not treat me like I can't handle it? I think I've proved that I can by now.”
I move my face away from his chest, as difficult as that is, to look at my surroundings. Huh. I'm in my bedroom, as if this is a normal night. Peter in my bed isn't anything new, but he usually doesn't have his wings out.
“I did not change you. Or kill you,” he says, adjusting so I can move easier.
Man, those wings are huge, and very pretty.
I fight the urge to smack him. It would hurt me more than it would hurt him. “Yeah, I noticed. So how did you weasel your way out of that one?” My neck is sore as I try to turn it from side to side. There's also a lovely bite mark from Peter on one side. “Viktor. He came with Texas and gave us a chance to escape.”
“How?” I glance up at his eyes, and he blinks. I'm guessing that's a shrug.
“He gave himself up. He made another bind.”
I sit up, hitting one of his wings with my head. “What?” This is not happening. Of all the stupid things...
“That he would avenge Ivan's death, by taking the life of the person who took his.” His calmer-than-calm voice is normally sexy. Not so much right now. I want him to be as freaked out as I am.
“That would be me. So now he wants to kill me, too.” Why don't I just paint a bull’s-eye on my forehead? Come and get me, bloodsuckers.
“He does not want to,” he says, as if that makes it better.
“And she took that?”
“For now.” Great. Just fan-freaking-tastic. My head can't think about that little development right now. Di isn't the only one who wants me gone.