Untouchable Darkness (15 page)

Cassius fell to his knees as the diamonds of dust burst into the air. He lifted his hand and caught a few particles and pressed them to his heart. “So I never forget the pain of remembering.”

“Pain…” Ethan answered just as Mason appeared, sword raised. “…isn’t reserved for mere humans, but for everything in creation. It would not be fair that we never experience it.”

“I don’t want to feel.” Cassius stood, sheathing his sword and facing both men. “I refuse it.”

Mason looked uncertain at what to say, but Ethan nodded. “One day, you will regret that choice. And I do hope I’m still alive to see it.”

The vision shattered in front of me into a million shards of glass. I gasped as I was transported to last year.

Genesis had just been brought to one of the immortal parties.

I hung on Cassius like a whore.

Ashamed, I looked away.

Minutes passed, maybe an hour.

And I was across the room, talking to a few friends. Cassius stared, his mouth ajar and then flexed like he was both in awe and irritated.

“Happened faster than you would have liked, I’m sure, even though it’s been what? A few thousand years?”

“Go to hell,” Cassius muttered.

“Interesting choice, however.” Mason crossed his burly arms and chuckled. “I wonder what the council would think.”

“The council needs to mind their own damn business.”

“She is beautiful.”

“She’s mine!” Cassius roared slamming Mason into the nearest wall.

Mason brushed him off, smirking like he’d just won the lottery. “Is she? I haven’t seen your mark.”

Cassius recoiled. “I would only mark my true love and even then, we cannot be.”

“But if you could?” Mason asked.

Cassius didn’t answer. He simply watched me, and when my friends disappeared he held out his hand and whispered, “May I have this dance?”

I shivered remembering the way he’d touched me that night, so different than other nights, like he wanted me as a woman.

Saw me as his equal.

We danced for hours, and when it was time to leave, he tugged me against him and whispered against my mouth, “Come with me.”

“Is that allowed?” I teased back.

“I make the rules.” He tugged my body against his, he was so big… everywhere, that it was overwhelming to all my senses. Even then I’d been powerless, so powerless.

“Good.” He chuckled wickedly. “You can try to fight me… but you’ll give in… in the end, they always do.”

The thought that he’d been with others pissed me off. I pushed him off and spat. “Don’t you have a human to chase?”

“Why chase a human? When I’ve tasted you?”

“Why taste me when you can have her?” I countered.

His mouth snapped shut.

Fresh pain washed over me as the vision shattered again.

And I was back in my room.

And Cassius—was awake.

“What did I tell you?” He tried to get up, but was still too weak. After three tries he lay back down and cursed. “You cannot simply invade my thoughts while I sleep. It isn’t fair.” I invaded his sleep? “And before you try again, remember you can only do it once within a REM cycle, and I’m very much awake thanks to your erotic musings.”

“Erotic musings?” I repeated, crossing my arms. “I wasn’t the one going all Viking or caveman!”

Cassius frowned. “I am neither of those things and I don’t appreciate being called a Neanderthal.”

“It’s a figure of speech! You know, cavemen, who pulled woman by the hair and had sex with them.”

Cassius face blanched, and he looked absolutely appalled. “I’ll have you know my favorite human was a man who lived in a cave!”

“Of course! Because you’re older than dirt!”

“Another untruth!” Cassius fired back. “Dirt has been around for at least a millennium longer than I!”

I groaned. “You’re giving me a headache.”

“It’s the Angel blood, not me.” He sniffed the air. “Damn it, I cannot smell anymore, at least not how I could before. You’re too new to dream walk. I’d suggest against it, but you’re like a child with a new toy.”

“Am not.”

“Are too!” he argued.

I burst out laughing. “Now who’s acting immature?”

He glared. “Still you.”

Sighing, I sat down on the bed. “I’m sorry for…” I waved my hand over him. “That.”

He looked down. “Oh, a simple chemical reaction to your kiss.”

“Huh?” I looked where he was looking and then nearly burst into flames. “Um….”

He was still staring. “Though it’s quite large? Is that normal for a human?”

Still blushing, I looked away. “How would I know?”

“You’re a woman.”

“So?”

“So you’ve lain with human men.”

My eyebrows nearly met the sky. “Excuse me?”

“Siren.” Cassius seemed confused. “It was your glamour. Therefore, you practiced seduction, mainly of humans, did you not?”

“Not! Most definitely not!” I yelled. “I never… slept with them!”

“Silly, who sleeps? You
fornicate
.”

“Please don’t say fornicate. In my bed.”

“Would you rather I stand and say it?”

“Why? Are you so ancient that simple manners during conversation escape you?”

“Sorry… You fornicate in bed… please?” He looked even more confused.

Alex’s laughter from down the hall didn’t help. “Sirens love manners in bed!”

“Shut up!” I yelled slamming the door in his face and glaring back at Cassius. “Look, maybe we should talk about what I saw, and then you can start my training.”

Cassius clenched his jaw. “You saw a memory, nothing more.”

“But—”

“And you’re training…” He heaved himself out of the bed and stood on wobbly feet. “…begins as soon as Mason cooks meat.”

I rolled my eyes. “Fine, we feed you again and then lesson time?”

“Yes.” Cassius leaned toward me and whispered, “Why do you smell so good?” His eyes dilated as he reached out to touch my skin.

“I’m a Dark One. I think that’s part of the attraction, right?”

“Right.” He stumbled over his words. “Yes, that’s it, of course. We should… eat.”

Cassius

“S
LOW DOWN, TIGER.”
A
LEX LAUGHED
at my expense, but I was too hungry to care. Why was I always so hungry? As if my stomach was in constant anger at its emptiness?

I chewed then swallowed. “I am not a tiger.”

“Sar—”

“—casm,” I finished for him. “I’m not an idiot, but name calling is lost on me. I’ll slow down when this—” I patted my stomach. “—is full.”

“You’ve had three steaks.” Mason spooned more steaming green beans onto my plate. “You’re going to put us in the poor house with the way you’re putting away food.”

“Impossible. Immortals have endless amounts of resources and money.”

Alex reached for one of my green beans. “Not with the way you’re eating.”

I stabbed at him with my fork and growled, “Get your own.”

“I don’t need food. I just find great satisfaction in trying to steal yours. What are you going to do about it?” His smile deepened. Damn I wanted to punch him. “Fight me?”

“Poke the bear, and when he wakes up from his hibernation he may just remove your intestines with a fork.” I lifted my fork in the air and matched his smile. “And it pleases me that the only time you could ever beat me in a fight would be when I’m this weakened. Sirens aren’t known for their muscle.”

“No.” Alex’s lips twitched. “But we are known for our prowess in bed. Try not to be jealous, Dark One.”

I snorted. “The last thing I’d be jealous of is the poor humans that stumble into your bed while you promise eternity only to fan your own narcissism.”

“My touch saves lives.” Alex chuckled. “Or so I’ve been told.”

Mason plopped down between us and snarled as he started slowly, methodically, slicing his meat into tiny pieces.

Pieces fit for a mouse.

Mason had always been more sensitive than the others, so I kept my mouth shut… or tried, that is, until he started lifting the fork to his lips.

Alex’s eyes went so wide I thought he was going to explode on the spot.

We both watched. Waited.

But the minute the meat was brought to Mason’s lips, he frowned and set the fork back down.

Alex let out a defeated sigh and looked away.

“Mason.” I licked my lips and pushed my plate away so I could lean across the large wooden table. “You honor her by trying.”

Mason had once been mated. But the curse of the humans had taken his mate’s life during the night. He’d woken up to her cold in his arms.

I had seen it coming.

But I was never allowed to alter those types of futures, the ones that dealt with life or death.

That was above even the Archangels.

We were not allowed to play Creator. It was not our place, would never be our place. It was why, saving Genesis a few weeks ago had gone against everything I’d been taught.

Thankfully, Sariel had agreed with our decision as had the Creator, or we would have all been… nothing but dust.

“The scent of meat reminds me of her,” Mason finally said, his voice gruff. “She loved steak.”

“Most Werewolves love steak,” Alex mused while slowly bringing a glass of wine to his lips.

I shook my head at him. He was so callous at times that he was truly lucky he had the ability to seduce women with his looks. It sure as hell wasn’t his warm personality.

Alex glared. “Like you should talk.”

I’d forgotten he could hear people’s thoughts, though usually only when very close and typically only of the female variety.

“Chill.” Alex rolled his eyes. “You’re a dude. Promise.”

“Er, thanks.” I scooted my chair back and stood. “It’s time to train Stephanie.” Yawning, I covered my face with my hands and was half tempted to steal some coffee, so I had energy enough to stay awake.

“You know you could always spike yourself with a bit of vamp blood.” Alex shrugged. “Just saying…”

“No.” I shuddered. “Never again.”

“I wasn’t that bad…” Ethan stumbled into the room and retrieved two bottles of water from the fridge, while memories of drinking from Eva ran rampant through my brain.

Alex’s eyes narrowed in on mine. “Yeah, I don’t think he was talking about you.”

The room fell silent.

I let out an irritated sigh. “Must you muddle through my thoughts, Siren?”

“Must you think so loud?” he fired back.

“It was only a dozen or so times,” I said defensively. And then, “Because we were in battle.”

A vision of Eva and me locked in a heated embrace flashed to the forefront of my mind. Nothing had happened, but we were in a cave for two days. She shared her blood and I shared mine, with no other choice but to strengthen one another before facing the fighting again.

“So if I had a bite of Dark One…” Alex’s lips twisted into a thin line as he rubbed them together. “I’d basically be a ninja.”

“Eva knew how to fight without my blood. It just enhanced her regular abilities. You’re too sedentary. I imagine a Dark One’s blood would just turn you into a comatose state.”

Ethan smirked. “So he’d be the same then?”

Alex scowled his eyes narrowing into tiny slits as he glanced in my direction, his face impassive. The bastard was picking away at my thoughts. Self-preservation told me to back away and go upstairs, but my feet felt sluggish, my body, exhausted and sore as if I’d taken on an entire army by myself.

“Sleep.” Alex said helpfully. “You’re a human now, you need actual rest.”

“I just woke up!”

“Good, then you’ll remember how to go back to sleep,” Stephanie said walking into the room. “You’ve spent no time sleeping, most of your time trying to do everything you used to be able to do sans power. Sleep and then we can train.”

A scream erupted from downstairs.

John.

“No.” I shook my head vigorously. “Absolutely not.”

“Yes.” Stephanie held out her hand. “For me.”

Her voice was so enticing, before I knew it, I was grasping her hand and following her up the stairs as Alex parroted, “for me,” in a high pitched voice.

I chose to ignore him.

Because she’d be upset if I tried to kill him and I was the one that ended up dead. At least I hoped she would be.

If I ever had my powers returned, if the future ever changed and Stephanie didn’t kill me, I was going to have a serious talk with that Siren.

He mimicked her voice again and burst into a laughter.

A very serious and damning talk.

The thought cheered me the entire achy way up the stairs.