Chapter 10

 

 

Jordan paced his living room, staring at all of Leanan’s touches in his apartment. He almost wished Doug lived with him again, but he was happy with Chloe, and he didn’t want anything to do with Others. He preferred to believe only humans existed.

If going back wouldn’t send him in a downward spiral, he would go back to those days. Not possible with what he knew now.

A random woman walked down his hallway with a seductive smile. “Come back to bed?”

Jordan shook his head. He’d had his fill. “Sorry, I need to get going. Another night.”

She dipped her head. “I can’t convince you to take one more round?”

“I really do need to go.” He sighed. “I need to talk to Mike.”

“Very well.” She went back to his room.

He grabbed his keys and phone and met her at the door. “Sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it. You were distracted the whole night, but you were very attentive.”

Yeah, because he’d learned that a woman’s pleasure was the best cure for anything, at least for an incubus. “I’m missing a part of me, but I’m hoping to find that soon. Have a good night.”

“Good luck, Jordan.” She hurried down the stairs, and he locked up.

He drove to Mike and Gwen’s house down on Lake Washington and rang the bell at the gate.

Someone buzzed him through through without having to talk over the speaker.

Mike stood at the door and motioned him in. Jordan made his way inside.

“How are you doing? Keeping yourself level?” Mike asked.

“Yeah, took care of my need before coming. Any word?”

“Not yet. Amelia and Brent are working as fast as they can, but it’s a delicate situation. They have to gain trust and play a role, or they will never be trusted enough to find the truth.”

“I’m worried. Leanan is the best thing I’ve had since Roxy. I don’t do well on my own.”

“Shit, you didn’t do well with Rox. Now stop. We’re doing our own searching, without giving ourselves away. Anything to help them get to the bottom of this faster.”

“How can I help?”

“Dude, seriously, stay out of this. You’re too emotionally attached. You will only get yourself hurt or killed.”

“She’s been talking crazy,” Jordan said. “Saying shit about having to leave soon. That I can’t come with her. Think this was it?”

Mike gripped his shoulders. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, but she was taken with three Others.”

“Okay, fine. Sorry. I’ll go home and stay out of the way the best I can.”

“I’d kill the time with you, but I’m trying to find you answers. I’m sorry.”

He sighed. “Yeah, maybe Doug will hang out. Chloe is out of town for some conference.”

“Good plan. He’ll keep you out of trouble.”

 

* * * *

 

Drummond entered the room and stormed toward Eamon. “Inuala insists we approach Amelia with caution. Each incarnation is different. Then there is her pet. There is something eerily familiar about him. Who’s to say he isn’t somehow manipulating her?”

Eamon’s eyes narrowed. “Doesn’t matter, old friend. She’ll remember our love and help me pull Crom Cruach fully into our world, and everything will be right after that.”

That is, if no one got in their way. Someone or something always took Oriana from him. He needed to solve the mystery of who. He suspected one of his own people. There were a few who were by his side every step of the way. Drummond was one of them. But there were plenty who weren’t always nearby.

Drummond, his second-in-command. He was rarely thrilled that they found Oriana again, but he never had hindered them in the past. Inuala always warned against seeking Oriana, even though Eamon helped Drummond find Inuala the one time she died.

“Be careful. I don’t believe Oriana always sees things the way you remember. And she seems to be in love with her pet. Maybe we should arrange Brendan’s death.”

“That would betray her trust. Brendan shall not be harmed now or ever. Oriana has always needed time after her memories are revived, but she always chooses me in the end. She was always meant to be with me. Why do you think I always find her again?”

“She has run in the past,” Drummond insisted.

“Only when chased away by someone. I’m starting to believe you don’t want me to find my soulmate and finish what we started so long ago.”

“Do you really believe everything that comes from Crom Cruach? Tell me, Eamon, in all these ages, why haven’t we gotten any closer to his goals? If he’s all-knowing, why haven’t you managed to keep Oriana?”

“The answers to those questions are simple. We are being tested. He doesn’t find us worthy yet. Sooner or later, we shall be.”

“Very well. I worry about you. But I will follow your lead and always will.”

Eamon pulled Drummond in for an embrace. “Thank you, dear friend. Everything is different this time. I feel it in my bones.”

Drummond squeezed him back but didn’t say a word. Then he left.

Doubt crept in. Was it possible he was the one behind all the setbacks with Oriana?

No. Drummond always had his back. Someone else wanted Amelia out of the way. The question was why.

 

* * * *

 

Amelia parked Brent’s Porsche, which he convinced her she should drive to stay in character. As much as she wasn’t a fan of fancy cars, it handled well. She could even get used to it.

And for the first time in ages, she hadn’t woken up seeing Eamon’s face.

Was it her bond to Brent? What did it mean?

Hopefully it was the bond. There had been a connection the moment they’d met, which grew every time she was near Brent for more than a year.

There was something about Eamon, though. Whatever that draw was scared the hell out of her, but maybe her draw to Brent should do the same. She’d never feared Brent, though.

Amelia climbed from the car and met Brent on the sidewalk. She ached for him, and his plan was to not have her before going to Del Sangre Bar.

The massage was nice, but she needed more contact, and she wasn’t talking blood. No, she wanted the spark to ignite when their bodies connected. She craved him inside her.

Amelia didn’t say a word as she stepped into the club. Drummond lifted his head and smiled from across the room. Then shadows swept around the vampire. He reappeared before her. “Eamon would like a word with you, alone. Why don’t you leave your pet with me.”

She shook her head. “I remember watching you with someone else’s pet. I’ll keep Brendan by my side. He won’t tell a soul what happens.”

Evil glinted in Drummond’s eyes. “In this case, I wouldn’t touch Brendan. I’ve already been warned what would happen if I harmed someone you considered yours.”

Her head tipped slightly. “I don’t need to stay. I can take Brendan with me, or we’ll leave together.”

Eamon appeared beside them. He didn’t look happy, but he wasn’t scowling. “Very well, he may come, but he may be unruly after the decision is made.”

Every red flag went up. “What decision?”

“Whether or not you’re initiated. I’m sure he won’t mind if you’re not. However, if you are, I will taste your blood. Can he sit by without a sound?”

She nodded, afraid of her own voice. She’d hoped someone else would bite her, not Eamon. Amelia considered running, but Brent stood beside her and had already assured her she could do this.

Only, he didn’t know how bad Eamon scared her. This was worse than when Yuri stared at her with glowing red eyes and the demon riding his voice.

Eamon was another story entirely. He looked at her as if he could see deep into her soul. Only he had her wrong. Whatever he thought he knew about her was inaccurate.

And Brent, as much as he’d shared, she still felt as if she were missing some key information about him. It was aggravating. Was he hiding more in his head? Had he figured out something she hadn’t yet?

Did it matter?

Eamon took her arm and led her into the back room. She’d only been there once, and not when vampires were there. She hadn’t made it far in her investigation until she quite literally ran into Yuri, who gave up all the secrets.

His touch sent a thrill through Amelia. She wanted to pull away and take Brent from the club. Eamon was pushing Brent’s boundaries. Why?

Once the door was shut, Eamon introduced her to a dozen more vampires. And the name that stood out was Inuala, who settled under Drummond’s arm.

Brent stiffened but made no other move.

Had she lived?

That was the vampire he killed in his memories, or did he only believe he had killed her?

Brent stayed perfectly silent, with no noticeable nervous ticks. Amelia would have caught them.

Inuala reached out to touch Brent’s hair, and Amelia caught her wrist.

“He’s mine, and I protect what’s mine.”

Red flashed through Inuala’s eyes. “I’m merely examining him. There’s something familiar about your pet.”

“I said the same thing,” Drummond muttered.

Eamon shot them both a glare. “You will leave Amelia and Brendan alone.”

Inuala dropped her gaze. “As you insist.”

“Tonight, we bring Amelia into our fold.”

Why couldn’t there be another way? Her unease tripled as Eamon watched her.

Drummond pulled Inuala away while Eamon nodded to a chair with two large men on either side. “Niall and Nolan will ensure no one touches Brendan, and he does not interfere for the next part.”

“And who says I’ll agree? You haven’t told me anything yet.”

He nodded. “It will be so much easier to show you. Please, this way.”

Her head tipped.

Inuala touched her shoulder. “Believe me when I say you need to allow him a taste of your blood.”

Fear wafted through her. This was not what she expected. And yet, if they were going to find out where Leanan was, they were going to have to dig deeper.

“Sit down, Brendan,” Amelia directed.

He took a seat.

Turning, she smiled at Eamon. “No vampire has tasted my blood, except my maker.”

“Relax. I won’t pry into your head. I already feel the magic blocking me. Instead, I only want to show you something.”

She dipped her head, trying to decide if she would need to let his thoughts in. He couldn’t control her mind, but could he implant thoughts?

The other vampires, except Niall and Nolan, crowded her, pushing her toward Eamon.

Too late now. They were surrounded by a dozen vampires. If she didn’t do this, they would force her. Or harm Brent. That would lead them nowhere. They would have to fight to get out, and they would never be allowed into their midst, if they somehow managed to survive. No, this was the only way.

She challenged him with a stare. “Then drink.”

Eamon beckoned. Taking her hand, he pulled her against his body. He bent and sank his fangs into her neck. Too intimate, but she didn’t argue or protest.

He pressed her tighter as his dick grew hard between them. Before she could recoil, he slipped behind her defenses, a caress. Something familiar woke as he pressed deeper into her mind, not accessing her memories or thoughts, simply moving through her awareness.

He groaned as memories were unlocked.

She rode her horse to the castle gates and stopped before Niall and Nolan, who wore ancient armor. She dismounted the horse and quietly stated, “I’m here as an emissary from Blackmire. I need to speak with Delaney of Ossery.”

“Why should we trust you?”

“Please, let your king decide.”

One of the twins ran toward the castle. Amelia realized they were speaking something else. Irish, the old language. Her heart picked up. She’d never heard it before, and yet, there she was, in a memory, understanding every word.

Time skipped forward. Delaney brought her to a chamber. “Talk to my son. My wife believes you two are meant for one another. And perhaps, together, we can end the tyranny of your father.”

As he left, Eamon walked toward them, only it was the first time they saw each other. The very same way she saw him upon waking. Eamon closed the distance, his eyes locking on hers.

Time skipped further, and they were in bed, Eamon making love to her, a bond forming as a dark whisper spoke up. “He’s the vessel. He will bring us our victory.”

Fear spread through her. Crom Cruach was in her head, in her soul. He tainted everything he touched.

Years passed in a blink of an eye. Love, but so much distance. She truly loved Eamon while pushing Crom Cruach into a dark corner and sealing him in. The distance between them grew each time he left, and another man befriended her. He showed her friendship, love, passion. He stole her heart yet she couldn’t reach the memories of the other man. She saw a blur, but heard his voice.

She’d loved Eamon but loved the other more.

Oriana’s last day played through her head. Eamon’s mother, Yseult, gripped her hair as she dressed for the day. She was spun around.

Yseult slapped Oriana, sending her head rocking back.

Covering her face, she stared at the woman who’d insisted she marry Eamon, before she could think. If she had realized he was a warrior, away more than home, she would have never agreed.

She was a stranger in a foreign land, only tolerated because Eamon loved her. She was his favorite possession. But she craved the true love she found in Trenton’s arms, only he felt an awful lot like Brent. How was that possible?

Yseult gripped Oriana’s face and pushed pure energy until she convulsed on the floor. She was dragged into the hall, down the stairs, and into the great hall before she could move of her own accord.

She came to a stop in the middle of the great hall and rolled to her hands and knees.

Her mother-in-law hissed, “Succubus!”

“What?” Oriana gasped. “What are you talking about?”

“I heard you tell Eamon about your precious little babe. The spawn of a demon.”

She shook her head. It was true, the baby wasn’t Eamon’s. No, it was another man’s, but she couldn’t see his face, couldn’t recall his name. And yet, she knew beyond a doubt the other man was not a demon.

She shook her head. “I’ve not been with a demon.”

“You have. You carry Crom Cruach within you. He comes to you, fucks you silly when your husband is out there fighting to keep you safe.”

Tears filled her eyes as she shook her head. Yseult took her choices from her, forced her to marry a man who viewed her as a possession, who didn’t understand real love. He cared for her, some part of him loved her, but he didn’t know how to make her happy. He thought physical love was all she needed.

The doors to the great hall were thrown open. Eamon rushed between her and his mother. “How dare you attack my wife and child?”

“The child is the spawn of a demon. His taint will ruin us all.”

Eamon shook his head. “No, she carries my child by the will of Crom Cruach.”

“She carries a demon’s babe. I’ve seen her with him at night. Shadows fill the room, her muffled cries of another man’s name, only I know the truth.”

Eamon turned to Oriana. “Is it true?”

She stared up at him at a loss for words as Yseult blurred past Eamon and drove a blade into her gut. “You and your child will die.”

Pain and dark magic tore through Oriana.

Eamon roared in fury. “She is mine.” He gripped his mother’s hair and hauled her to her feet, slashing her throat with his blade.

Blood rained down on Oriana and Crom Cruach pushed out of her chest into Yseult’s soul and filled her body, seeking her pain and death.

“What have you done?” Delaney bellowed, running to Yseult. He caught her before she fell to the floor.

“She attacked the mother of my child. The woman she insisted I marry. Why?” Eamon bellowed.

Delaney tipped Yseult’s face up, but the light was gone from her eyes as Crom’s laugh echoed in Oriana’s head.

Oriana clutched her stomach, blood leaking between her fingers, soaking her gown. “She called me a succubus. Said I’d been with a demon.”

Delaney shook his head. “She wouldn’t lie. She must have seen something to believe it.”

Oriana shook her head.

Eamon dropped down beside her, placing his hands on the wounds, pushing magic at her. “I won’t lose you,” he vowed.

Oriana tried to lock Crom Cruach down, but he flowed through her, reaching for Eamon, even as the magic healed her wounds.

“She feared the spirits following Oriana, Eamon. Surely you’ve heard the call to Crom Cruach.”

“Our god,” he shouted. “Oriana is blessed by our god.”

Oriana’s hold on Crom Cruach slipped as a curse unraveled the spelled she built to stop the entity from taking over.

“A demon,” Delaney whispered, drawing a blade and diving for Oriana.

Eamon swung the sword and lopped off his father’s head as the dagger sank into Eamon’s chest.

Oriana cried out in pain as Crom Cruach twisted through her, breaking the bonds of her magic. Shadows flowed from her, reaching out and winding around Eamon, before sliding into the fresh wound in his chest.

Eamon’s back arched as Crom attempted to seek refuge in his body. His cerulean eyes deepened to black, the darkness spreading across the whites as fangs grew from his mouth.

He pulled Oriana into his arms. “Stay with me, Oriana.” Power bled into his voice, making him sound monstrous.

“It's too late,” she cried.

“Stay with me,” he commanded.

Every movement sent a wave of agony through her. Terror roared. She whispered the ancient words to banish the strongest of the spirits as Eamon's grip became a crushing force.

She screamed the spell as Badb whispered more of the spell through her head. The goddess of war was trying to help seal Crom Cruach away, but it was too late. Eamon was changed into a monster.

Crom’s voice shook the walls. “With your death I’m reborn.”

She pushed the last of her magic into Eamon, pushing the spirit out, though the damage was done.

Eamon’s fangs sliced deep into her throat and he pulled on her blood as he held her with so much force her ribs snapped and pain washed through her.

She’d failed. “I’m sorry,” she muttered with her last breath.

Reality slammed back into her as her chest rose and fell. The truth was so much worse than she ever imagined.

Hundreds of images flickered through her head. Lifetimes in different ages, regions. She had loved Eamon in several, but there was always another man she loved more, and even though he didn’t look like Brent, it was the very same way he made her feel.

“Oriana, do you remember?” Eamon whispered.

She blinked, her heart beating faster. She’d made Eamon what he was. She was to blame. And he broke her body and drained her life in the wake of the change.

The spirits murmured, their voices louder, almost coherent. Colors flowed off Brent. He was going to lose his shit, she knew it, but wasn’t totally sure how.

“I need to go,” she whispered. “I need to think.”

Eamon dipped his head, sadness in his eyes, but there was hope too. What scared her most was the intent behind his words. Eamon expected her to choose him.

She never would. Her heart never truly belonged to him. He only ever borrowed it for a time, before the one who held it finally found her.

“The memories can be confusing,” Inuala stated. “In time, you’ll see you belong at Eamon’s side.” Magic accompanied the words, but the spell slid past Amelia. She didn’t know enough about magic to have a damned clue what Inuala attempted to do, but Brent might, if he caught it.

And she would never belong at Eamon’s side. She had her soulmate.

Amelia turned and took Brent’s hand, leading him from the room, out of the club, and to his car. She slid into the driver seat but only went far enough that they should be out of sight, then parked.

Her brain didn’t want to function. She couldn’t process all the memories.