Destiny Disrupted (21 page)

“Yes, it would appear so. They did seem awfully chummy,” he agreed. “I need to ask you something, have you noticed if Trent has been branded?”

“You mentioned that before, but I still have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Once Trent initially agrees to help the Nocturne, he’ll be branded. They will use magickal ink to create a tattoo on him out of demon blood. It would heal in a matter of hours, and the tattoo would be seared into his skin like an ancient symbol.”

Oh, god.
I clutched my stomach. The tribal tattoo on Trent’s shoulder. He’d been branded. No ugly mark like mine. He’d gotten a different type of permanent scarring.

“Yes,” I whispered. “On his shoulder there is a tattoo.”

Raze was quiet for a full minute before saying, “I’m sorry. I didn’t want to be right about him.”

I hugged my chest. “But you suspected?”

Raze unbuttoned his trench, the slits cut in the back of the fabric allowed his wings to beat the air. “For some time. He must be vanquished before he accepts the crown, Shiloh.”

“What? I’m
not
killing my boyfriend!”

“If you cannot, perhaps your mother and what’s left of her coven—”

“No one is touching him.” My cheeks heated and I glared at the immortal. “I’ll deal with…with this myself. And don’t you dare tell anyone, or I’ll be vanquishing
you
.”

Raze nodded. “As you wish.”

Without sticking around for me to cuss him out, he flapped his wings and flew away. Just left me there in the dark alone, with my heart breaking into a million pieces.

Trent was going to take the throne. Accept his birthright and become the Prince of the Underworld.

This. Was. Not. Happening.

I shut my eyes and curled my hands into fists, so tight that my nails broke through the skin of my palms.

Whatever I had meant to Trent, the emotions swirling in my mind were invoking several physical reactions all at once. Queasiness. Shaky knees. Watery eyes. Heartache.

Trent had lied to me. Betrayed my trust. Given into evil. It didn’t matter that it sounded as if he was only doing it to protect me or save his mother. We could’ve handled it together. Found another way. Maybe he didn’t trust me, either, although I couldn’t fathom why.

It was all too much.

I silently begged my heart to keep beating. I willed my lungs to keep filling with air. I gazed at my left hand, at the sapphire ring glittering in the dim moonlight. God, everything had been so perfect. But I had been so naive. The horror of it all threatened to overwhelm me. I tried to concentrate on the ring, and only that.

Because if I opened my mouth even the tiniest bit, I would start screaming. And I would never, ever be able to stop.

After crying for hours while replaying the horrible scene at the lake repeatedly in my head, I finally fell asleep. Ariana tried to wake me in the morning, but I just groaned and yanked the blankets over my head.

When she gave up and left the house to go on a hike with Daniel, I went back to sleep. It was late afternoon by the time I woke up, took a long hot shower, and finally got dressed.

I had no idea how my life had gone from being somewhat normal—at least normal for me—and ended with my world being tilted on its axis when I discovered my boyfriend was about to become the Prince of the Underworld.

How the hell had things gone so horribly wrong?

In the bathroom, I carefully applied my makeup, even adding my signature dab of sparkly facial glitter near my bloodshot eyes. I put an extra coat of mascara on my lashes, then stepped back from the mirror to check my face.

“Dammit, don’t start crying again,” I said, dabbing under my eyes with a tissue.

Even though I was still freaked out, I wanted to look fierce as hell today. Since my confidence as a girlfriend, even as a witch, was on shaky ground, I needed to crank it up a notch.

I went back into my room and chose a simple black midriff sweater that revealed my sparkly bellyring and skinny jeans, with a pair of open-toed ankle boots. Next, I threw on my vintage leather jacket for an added self-esteem boost. The only jewelry I wore was the sapphire ring.

Staring down at the jewel sparkling in the light, my legs weakened.

Why had Trent signed the damn contract? Why would he risk everything to become their evil prince?

His only reason couldn’t be just to save his mom. Now that he’d joined the
other
side, it was like declaring all-out war. He had to realize that I wouldn’t sit idly by while the Nocturnes were released from the Sheol and started a crusade against the Forsaken in
my
town. A supernatural civil war would destroy Fallen Oaks and eventually the world.

So what were my craptastic options? Kill Trent, like Raze suggested, or find a way for him to break that stupid, stupid deal with the Triad.

First, I needed to hear the truth from Trent, no matter how painful. Ask him why he’d gone rogue and betrayed me like this. I wanted him to tell me why he’d decided to help the Nocturne.

This was totally batshit crazy. And I couldn’t live with the not knowing. I needed to understand. I grabbed my cell phone from my desk and shoved it into my back pocket.

“Where are you going?”

I turned around. Ariana stood in the doorway, her soft curls framing her face. I hadn’t even heard her creep up behind me.

My palms were sweating and I could hardly breathe. I stuffed my left hand under my arm and held it there to keep it from trembling. “I need to talk to Trent.”

“About?”

“Nothing I want to discuss right now.”

She moved into the room and sat on the bed. “Okay, what’s up? You’re dressed like you wanna go out smashing things and riding on motorcycles with bearded guys named Spike. I dig the whole grunge look you got going on, but is there a Fallen Oaks biker gang I don’t know about?”

“No…”

“Then talk to me.”

I bit the inside of my cheek. “You’re not going to like it.”

“If it has to do with your boyfriend, then you’re probably right.” With a toss of her golden curls, she said in a serious tone, “It’s past time to have the
Trent talk
.” Ari made air-quotes with her fingers on the last two words. “So tell me what’s going on or I’m not letting you leave this house.”

I crumpled onto the desk chair and dropped my head in my hands. The room seemed hot and stuffy, like the walls were closing in on me. Casting my gaze to the circular rug, I forced myself to breathe.

In...one...two...three...

Out...one...two...three...

She tapped her sneaker on the hardwood floor. “I’m waiting.”

“I don’t even know where to begin.” I lifted my head and slumped in my seat. “Short version? Trent has been complaining to me for a while now how he’s struggling to control the
Darkness,
and all I kept stupidly doing was feeding him lame pep talks and telling him that he could conquer it on his own. Turns out, he can’t. Or won’t. He met with the Evil Triad last night and signed a contract with them.” I took a breath and added, “Basically, he’s agreed to be their new ruler.”

“I knew something was up with him! This only confirms my belief that most men are scumbags deep down.”

My forehead wrinkled. “Where’s that coming from? You have Daniel and he’s great.”

“He is great, but the last two boyfriends before him—not so great. And my dad’s a major douchebag, too.” She pinned me with a cold stare. “My aunt was always saying, never trust a man who accessorizes more than you do. And you gotta admit, Trent’s a snappy dresser.”

One of my legs started shaking, the ball of my foot lifting up and down. “We’re getting off topic. Did you hear what I said? Trent. Is. Going. Dark-side.”

“Yeah, I heard you…and honestly, I’m not surprised.”

My shoulders straightened and my head snapped back. “Really? Why not?”

She leaned back on her hands and crossed her legs, swinging one blue, high-top. “I figured you were just going through a bad-boy phase with him, and then when things got serious between you two, I kept my mouth shut about my suspicions. He’s got demon genetics and major Daddy issues from his stepfather
and
evil-ass Esael. The guy’s a hot mess. Even
you
can’t tame him, Shi.”

My fingers clutched tightly at the armrests of the chair, my nails digging into the soft fabric. “Wow. Tell me how you really feel.”

“From the moment you started dating him, he had heartbreaker written all over him. I mean, the guy looks like he walked straight out of an Abercrombie and Fitch catalog. And I don’t trust anyone who’s that, well, perfect,” she said. “You can’t tell me that you never saw this coming. C’mon, you’re smarter than that. You just let yourself become blind to what he really is—a demon.”

“He’s still half human!” I rocketed to my feet. “Trent still has good inside him, I know it. And I need to talk him out of doing this. If the
Darkness
did this to him, then why can’t white magicks save him?”

“You already tried to help him, but you lost the Orb of Oculus. Without it, you cannot change someone’s DNA, Shiloh.”

“Do you have anything constructive to say?” I practically shouted. “You’re
not
helping, and I don’t want to talk about this anymore. I’m going to figure out a way to save him!”

She threw up her hands. “Fine. It’s your funeral.”

I bristled. “Gee, thanks for the support.”

“I’m sorry, but you’re my best friend and I’m only trying to look out for you. Trent is bad news and it’s time to set him loose,” she said matter-of-factly, like she was describing the weather:
Your boyfriend’s a monster, and it’ll be cloudy with a chance of rain later this afternoon.

My posture hunched and I exhaled roughly. “I need to talk to Trent before I decide anything.”

Her blue eyes were piercing. “Do you really think that’s the best idea?”

“I do. He needs me,” I said, infusing my voice with conviction. “Trent would
never
hurt anyone. Maybe he’s being blackmailed into taking the throne to save his mother.”

Ariana didn’t pay attention to my vehement denials or my lame excuses for Trent’s behavior.

“Is that what you think? Because I find that hard to believe. Trent isn’t the type to let
anyone
push him around or tell him what to do.” Ariana’s glossy pink lips thinned. “So, you’re going to confront him, and then what?”

“I-I don’t know. I just want to him to, um, tell me…” I stammered. “The truth, I guess.”

She tipped her head back and sighed. “And you expect him to be honest? If he’s been lying to you for weeks, what makes you think he’ll suddenly fess up now? Just because he’s been caught doesn’t mean he’s gonna be all Mr. Forthcoming.”

“I know that!” I let out a long sigh, partially because I knew she meant well, and partially to squash the strong desire to hit my best friend. “But I still need to see him. Hear his side of the story.”

Her mouth twisted into a frown. “So you’re going to meet him somewhere alone, although you’re not sure he’ll tell you the truth, and he’s in league with demons. That’s just dumb. I’m not trying to be a bitch, but if he’s joined forces with our demonic enemies, then Trent may have reached his breaking point. So please don’t be that pathetic girl who thinks
he’ll change for me
. ’Cause they never do.”

An intense heat welled up behind my breastbone. I took a deep breath, let it out slowly, and promised myself a piece of chocolate if I didn’t punch her.

“I don’t give a crap,” I said. “He loves me and we care about each other!”

“You love him, I get it. And your love, is like epic.” Ariana raised one perfectly shaped blonde eyebrow. “But are you sure about this?”

No, I’m not sure.
But what else am I supposed to do?

“Yes. I’m sure.”

“Then we’ll call Evans and have a coven meeting.” She flipped her wild curls over one shoulder, a sure sign she was frustrated. “We’ll decide together the safest way to approach Trent and handle this hot mess.”

A rush of tears clouded my vision as I shook my head. “I don’t have time for that. I need to see him
now
. Today.”

She folded her arms over her chest and stared me down. “You’re not going to meet him alone.”

“Watch me.”

I turned and stomped from the room, blasting my way downstairs and out the door.

Outside, I hopped into the Jeep and whipped out my phone from my pocket. I felt icky for fighting with Ariana, but she just didn’t understand. I doubted anyone would. I dialed Trent’s number and waited. It rang once, twice, three times.

“Hey, I was just going to call—”

“I need to see you,” I said firmly.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“I’m good. We need to talk. In person. Now.”

A minute of silence.

He sighed into the phone. “I have to go somewhere.”

“Cancel your plans.”

“What’s up, Shiloh?” he asked tersely.

“I’ll tell you when I see you, but not over the phone.”

“
Fine.
Craven Manor. Be there in fifteen minutes.”

He hung up without saying goodbye. I tossed my cell onto the passenger seat and stuck the key into the ignition. I just wanted to get this over with. Trent and I would clear the air, figure out a solution, and everything would go back to normal. Not that I’d figured out what that was yet. The term
normal
was becoming relative.

On the drive to the mansion, I tried to plan out what I was going to say. But how did you ask someone why they’d been lying to you when the only reason you knew they’d been dishonest was because you had been stalking them with a hunky immortal?

Turning up the long driveway, my hands shook. I jerked to a stop near the garage and hopped out. I climbed the porch steps and found the front door ajar.

Tentatively, I stepped into the silence of the foyer and paused. The only light came from one of the chandeliers hanging from the high ceiling, illuminating each of the regal portraits on the walls. The manor might as well have been a mausoleum, and for the first time since I’d walked righteously out of my house, I contemplated turning back.

Taking a deep breath, I let the cold hardness of the truth settle over me. Felt the weight of it pulsating in my veins. Let the reality bleed into my tangled thoughts. First, I had to accept the facts. Then, I could deal with them.

Fact one, Trent had signed a contract with the Triad. Fact two, he might be all dark-side now. And fact three, he may not want to listen to reason anymore.

“Shiloh.” His voice echoed throughout the empty rooms from nowhere and everywhere.

“Trent?”

The blood was rushing in my ears. How could I have come here without my friends? Ariana had been right. This was stupid and reckless. What had I been thinking?

Answer: obviously I hadn’t been thinking. I had been acting on pure adrenaline and raw emotion. And now here I was in the manor. Alone. With a dangerous boy who made deals with demons and couldn’t be trusted.

I backed up. “Trent, where are you? Why is it so dark in here?”

He stepped into the foyer from a parlor on the left.

“Hi,” I said.

Trent didn’t move or smile. Shadows masked his expression.

Go home. Get out of here now.

“Why the sudden urgency to see me, Shiloh?” His voice was curt.

I glanced down at the floor, my hands shaking. My pulse beat rapidly. “I needed to talk about the—”

“Come over here.” The edge in his tone drew my attention, and my head lifted.

My heart rate spiked. I wavered. There was a good twenty feet separating us.

“Why don’t you want to come closer?”

His mouth pressed into a hard line. “Is it because of what you discovered last night?”

All the air was punched from my lungs. “How did you—”

“Caym told me.” Trent slowly walked toward me. “He spotted you leaving the lake last night.”

No wonder Trent was acting so weird. He knew I’d been spying on him.

“Why didn’t
you
tell me?” I asked in a breathy voice.

As Trent came closer, his fingers clenched and unclenched at his sides. “Tell you what? That I’d struck a deal with the Triad to stop a supernatural war from killing innocents? Protected you? Saved my mother? And now you’re angry with me again.”

I exhaled and lowered my voice. “What I’m really pissed about is that you’ve been going behind my back and having secret meetings with demons. And then you go and make a deal without even talking to me first!”

“Would you have heard my side of it?
No.
” With each word, he took another step closer to me. “You would’ve just been patronizing and told me not to go through with it. You may not understand my motives, but you do trust me, don’t you, Shiloh?”

“I-I don’t know what to think. That’s why I’m here,” I said, my voice quivering.

Trent stopped moving, and his green eyes shone brightly under the lights. “Do you trust me?” he repeated.

Here it was. The moment of truth I’d been dreading.

“I…I just wish you’d come to me first,” I said quietly. “We could’ve talked about it. I swear, I wouldn’t have been condescending.”

“You’re being evasive.”

I took a deep breath. “I’m just all mixed up inside.”

Trent pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes. He let out a low, strangled groan. It was ridiculously loud in the stillness.

“Why didn’t you come to me first?” I asked.

“I’m more than capable of making decisions without you,” he said in a tight, edgy voice that raised the hackles on my neck. “I don’t need to ask your permission.”

“I get that,” I said. “I only want to help you. Fix this.”

Trent’s features turned to stone. “There’s nothing to fix!” he shouted. “I can save everyone by joining my people!”

I recoiled. “They’re
not
your people. Please, Trent, listen to me. This is not who you were meant to be.”

“It is now.” His gaze darkened, changing from emerald to deep black within an instant. For a long moment, he just glared at me like I’d betrayed him somehow. “I’m embracing my new destiny. But you don’t believe that, do you?”

I stared at him. My mouth fell open, then snapped shut.

He swiftly approached me, and I edged away. His eyes were onyx, wild and not the slightest bit familiar. He positioned himself between me and the front door. Any chance of escape was blocked. Where was Evans? Maxwell? Mrs. Baylock?

I could barely draw a breath. My throat constricted, and tears leaked down my cheeks.

A darker magickal force saturated the room, like a sudden burst of mystical energy. Whirlwinds of dust spun in the air. Curtains billowed and windows and doors rattled throughout the house as
Darkness
rushed through the foyer. The chandelier above our heads sputtered. The room thickened with that ominous power, like the beginnings of a fierce tempest.

“Trent, settle down.” My voice wobbled. I wanted my boyfriend back. Wanted the Trent I knew and loved. Not this feral, stormy force of nature.

“Why should I?” He rubbed one hand at the back of his neck and flung it away again. “I’m not an idiot, Shiloh. I know what you’re thinking.”

Stall. Stall. Stall.

My pulse gave a violent leap trying to work out how I could get away. “I know that,” I said. “So what am I thinking?”

“You’re thinking I’ve gone full-demon!” He barked out the last word, and his harsh tone startled me enough that I clutched at my chest. “You’re afraid of me now. Of
me
. God, how did this happen?” Trent took a deep, shaking breath. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to yell at you.” His voice was suddenly imploring and he flicked a glance at my ring. “We’ve been through so much together and I thought...you trusted me. I wanted to tell you about it. I was going to the night I gave you the ring.”

I swallowed hard, feeling on the verge of fresh tears. “Why didn’t you?”

“We had that stupid fight. But you’re still wearing it,” he said in a strange, almost strangled voice I’d never heard before.

“Of course.” My heart still hadn’t stopped its loud hammering. The soft way he was gazing at me now wasn’t helping.

“Come here,” he said, reaching for one of my hands.

I took a step backward—not exactly yanking my fingers away, but not willing to let him touch me. I took a deep breath and the tension and roiling emotions deflated slightly. “Can I ask you something?”

Trent dropped his arm. “Anything.”

“Were you just gonna leave without saying goodbye?”

He sniffed indignantly. “No. I thought I might be able to talk you into coming with me.”

I choked on a lump in my throat. “You know I can’t do that.”

“I figured you’d say that. I also hoped your love for me would change your mind.” Clutching at the collar of his shirt, he groaned. “What if we played both sides? Got the inside scoop on what the demons are up to and—”

“Do you have any idea how dangerous that would be?” I cried. “Please tell me why you’re doing this. I need to understand.”

“I was tired of watching you get hurt.” His voice grew rougher, more strained. “I wanted to spare you more pain and help my mother.”

“And that’s very sweet and honorable, but it’ll break my heart if you do this.”

“I had to do something,” he whispered.

There was a long moment of silence.

“I need time to think,” I said finally.

His jaw tightened. “You’re not leaving here until you listen to what I have to say.”

“Trent—”

“If I don’t accept the throne, then someone else will take over. Someone who doesn’t care if you live or die.” Trent stared into my eyes with a beseeching look. “There will be a rebellion in the Underworld. Do you actually think whoever takes over for me will let your family or friends live?”

Shaking my head, I buried my face in my hands. How was I ever going to get through to him?

“Is there any way to break the contract with the Triad?” I whispered, dropping my hands and lifting my head.

“No. I can’t undo the contract now, Shiloh. It’s too late.”

His blunt words gouged my heart. My nails bit into my palms. Trent wasn’t the same guy he’d been when I’d last seen him. The same boy I’d made love to. No, the dark power rising off him like heat waves and the rush of
Darkness
sweeping the room was evidence to the contrary. The intensity of Trent’s powers seeped past my clothes and burned my skin.

“The war will happen between the Forsaken and the Nocturne no matter what choice I make, but if I become their ruler, then I can at least move the fight somewhere else,” he said in a rough voice. “A safer place where there aren’t any innocents around to get caught in the crossfire. Don’t you get it? Don’t you see? I am sacrificing myself for the greater good!”

“Keep telling yourself that, Trent,” I said, my voice weak and watery. “I don’t even know who you are anymore. And you’re deluded if you think you can actually rule and tell the Nocturne what to do. Caym has other plans for you, and all these good intentions of yours won’t mean a damn thing once you take the throne. Can’t you see that? Or are you too blinded by power or the
Darkness
? There are other ways to stop the war, Trent, without you having to side with evil…”

“Aren’t you freakin’ listening to me?” Trent’s jaw clenched. Each word came out tighter, more biting. More violent. “A war will break out. And who do you think the Nocturne will kill first? Your mother, the high priestess. Then you. They can’t have witches guarding the Sheol.”

I backed up. “They’ll kill more than the witches. You can’t trust them.”

He crowded me. “I’m only doing this for us. Why don’t you believe me?”

Danger signals went off in my head. He was losing his humanity and there was nothing I could do to stop it.

“Trent, please.” My back pressed into the wall. “It sounds like your heart is in the right place, but it’s not the only way to prevent a war.”

“It is now!” He shouted, rounding on me again. Trent slammed his fist into the wall above my head and bore down on me until I shrank toward the floor. “There was only one choice. And you have to know, I would
never
do anything to hurt you,” his voice lowered. “Stop trying to make me second-guess my decision! Caym was right—you’re only trying to manipulate me.”

My rapid breathing came out as loud wheezes. “Caym? He wants to start the apocalypse and kill every human on the planet!”

His eyes were shiny black. “Why would he do that? He just wants revenge on the Forsaken.”

“Trent, this isn’t you,” I said. “This is your demon half talking.”

Hovering above me, Trent’s expression changed. It was as if he was seeing me for the first time in days. And in that split second, he crouched on his knees beside me and took me in his arms.

“Please,” he begged. “Please don’t hate me.”

Hate him? No, it was pity and anger I felt. Never hatred.

“Please understand.”

His mouth covered mine in a hungry kiss, which splintered my senses. I struggled at first, but slowly everything faded away, until it was only Trent and the hardness of his arms as they tightened around me. He released a growl, slid his hands into my hair, and kissed me harder. He pressed closer until our bodies were flush, his heart drumming against mine. Every inch of my skin was throbbing. I twisted my fingers deeper into his soft hair, pulling him against me. And something inside me shattered, like a splitting molecule of my soul, exploding with all the force of a nuclear blast.

“Oh, Shiloh…” he whispered. “I love you so much, it’s killing me.”

His lips moved to mouth again and together we drowned in our emotions. He was like a blazing fire, and I was the damn kindling. We were doomed. His hold was crushing me against him, my own hands holding him close. We fell onto the floor, a tangle of limbs. My hands slid under his shirt, touching that hard, rippled flesh. He grabbed at my zipper and started to take off my jeans. Sanity returned and I grasped his wrist.

“Wait,” I said breathlessly, pulling away from him and trying to sit up. “Trent.” I had to put a hand to his chest and physically push him back.
“Stop.”

“What’s wrong?” he asked while kissing my neck.

What was wrong? Everything. I couldn’t think. We were about to have sex on the floor. It just didn’t feel right.

“We haven’t figured anything out yet,” I said. “Or what we’re gonna do about this mess.”

“Yes.” His eyes were black as a starless night. “We have.”

“No, we haven’t.” My pulse raced. “I need to think about all this.”