"I need you to see."
"See what?" she bellowed.
They stared at one another across the office. Aodhan had talons on the end of his fingers and the scales on his neck shone in the light. She knew he wanted to crowd her, but he kept his distance. All that they'd been through rushed through her mind and she took another step back as if that would help her deny his words.
"You matter," Aodhan said.
Her heart cracked. "You said I whored for Luc."
"I'll never do it again. When I realized you had thrown yourself over the edge..." He took a step forward before he stopped himself. "I realized it didn't matter what you are, Cara. You were conceived in sin, but your heart is as pure as your mother's and sister's. You're loyal, brave and you love me."
"Aodhan, I don't-"
One moment he was across the office and the next he had a hand clapped over her mouth. Her eyes were wide as they stared into his. He leaned down and pressed his forehead to hers and took a deep breath. His scent made her weak with need and tears trickled from her eyes and slid over his palm.
"Don't say you don't love me," he said quietly. "I have proof."
He looked down at himself pointedly and she let out an aggravated growl. His lips twitched as he buried his face in her hair and pulled her against him. She braced her hands against his chest, but she was in no position to fight his embrace and wasn't sure she wanted to. He didn't say anything for a long minute and the longer he held her, the more she relaxed until she rested fully against him. His hand fell from her mouth, but his thumb brushed gently over her lips.
"I can't let you go," Aodhan said into her hair. "I don't see in black and white anymore. I see in color."
She dug her nails into his chest. She wanted so badly to burrow against him and let the rest of the world deal with itself but she knew Luc wouldn't leave her alone. "He'll come for me. I
have
to die."
"No."
"You have to-"
His hand gripped her hair and jerked until she looked up at him. "No."
"Killing me is the only way."
"Khan," Aodhan bit out.
The office door opened even though Aodhan hadn't raised his voice. Aodhan didn't release his ultra possessive hold on Cara who shifted uncomfortably when Khan entered. Khan didn't look surprised to see them in such an intimate embrace.
"Tell her," Aodhan ordered.
Khan's eyes swept over Cara's distraught face. "There's a way to send your father back to the underworld and keep you here, but it's risky."
"That's impossible," she whispered.
"Luc imbedded a piece of himself into your soul. If I remove it, you die," Khan said.
"I know this," she snapped.
Khan continued, unperturbed by her anger. "You can't exist with half a soul, but I can replace it with something else."
"Another soul?" Cara asked, outraged.
"It's called an Immortal Bond," Khan explained patiently. "It's risky and it's never been attempted by anyone that I know of, but Aodhan's an Ancient. He can bond his soul to the missing half of yours, but the tie will be tight."
She felt a trill of foreboding. "What do you mean?"
Khan slid Aodhan an unreadable look. "Your Immortal Bond won't allow distance. You'll have to be in constant contact with one another and there's no way to reverse it."
"That sounds very... permanent," Cara said uneasily.
"And what does the alternative sound like?" Aodhan growled.
She glared at him. "What if this Immortal Bond doesn't work at all?"
"It will," Aodhan decreed.
"This is crazy. You're telling me you're going to carve Luc out of my soul and then bond me to Aodhan?"
"You don't want to be bonded to me?" Aodhan demanded.
She tried to wriggle away, but his arms were immovable oak trees around her. She wasn't going anywhere. She so desperately wanted to believe, but she couldn't. Trying this 'Immortal Bond' thing was nuts.
"No running, Cara," Aodhan said.
"You don't call the shots in my life!"
"If you fought as hard for yourself as you do for anyone else, you'd let Khan perform the Immortal Bond right now," Aodhan said.
"That's because I know what I am! Do you know what it's like for someone to possess you and make you do things you can't wash yourself clean of?" she whispered. "I do. I can't take the risk. I know what
will
work. So do you."
When she looked towards Khan for help, Aodhan partially shifted. His cheeks and brows were covered in silver scales and she heard his shirt rip as spikes erupted along his spine. Talons pressed into her cheek, but they didn't hurt her.
"We're going to do the Immortal Bond," Aodhan whispered. "I don't care how long it takes to convince you. I won't let you die."
"This is so fucked up," Cara moaned and dropped her head on his chest.
"We'll make it," Aodhan said. "Just give yourself over to me. I can take care of you."
"If I do the Immortal Bond, what happens to that part of you that's bonded to me when I die?"
"If we bond, I believe you'll become immortal like me."
She gaped at him. "And you didn't think to tell me that I'd live to be a thousand years old?"
"It's a possibility."
"I need time," she said and tried to pull away.
Aodhan didn't move for several seconds and then his eyes dropped to her lips. She held her breath as the scales disappeared and he pulled her up the length of his body and kissed her. It was a gentle, comforting kiss and she clamped her quivering lips together as they stared at one another.
"I'll do whatever it takes to keep you here," he vowed.
"It may not work."
"It will," he declared and his face was set in determined, angry lines.
"Why are you fighting this so hard?" she whispered. "You don't have to feel obligated to me."
This time, the kiss he planted on her lips was definitely not gentle. It was hard, bruising and filled with need. She sensed Khan leave. She wrapped her legs around his waist as he cupped her face and angled it to deepen the kiss. Their one night together hadn't been enough. She ran a finger down his cheek, which was now free of scales. When she quivered, he gentled the kiss and pulled away. She never imagined that once he knew what she was that he would still look at her this way.
"You're worth fighting for," he said. "When you slept on a sheet beside me, I knew I would have let you go if you asked me."
Her eyes widened. He didn't look away and his hand collared her throat, stroking over her pulse.
"But I didn't realize until you jumped off the cliffs that I loved you."
"Aodhan-"
He shook his head. "The only thing I want to hear from you is yes."
Before she could think of an answer, the doors flew open and Sky ran in holding two sugar cookies covered in pink frosting.
"Cookies!" Sky shrieked and barreled into them.
Aodhan released Cara and when Sky stared expectantly at him, he reached down and picked her up. As soon as Sky was close enough to his face, she shoved a cookie into Aodhan's mouth. Cara's eyes widened and she reached out for Sky, but Aodhan just grinned and chewed. Sky held out the second cookie to Cara who took a bite. Sugar exploded in her mouth and she bit back a groan.
"Linnea let me put frosting on the cookies!" Sky chirped happily. "She says I put magic in them and that I had to give them to people I love most."
Cara stared at Aodhan as he held her sister. She knew him as a dragon, warrior and now a man. Demons cowered in his presence, yet Sky sat on his hip feeding him sugar cookies. Khan appeared in the doorway, probably alarmed by the unfamiliar sound of a child's voice. Sky took one look at Khan and pushed at Aodhan's chest.
"Uncle Aodhan, put me down. I need to get another cookie!" Sky squealed.
Khan raised a brow as Sky ran past him and returned less than a minute later with another cookie covered in pink frosting. Khan stared dubiously at the child and didn't take the cookie. Undeterred, Sky went on her tiptoes and waved the cookie as if the smell would entice him to take it.
"I put my magic into these cookies, Linnea says so!" Sky hollered.
Cara was ready to step in when Khan took the cookie. Sky didn't move. She stood right in front of him and waited.
"It'll make you feel happy!" Sky said and did a little dance. "Come on!"
Aodhan chuckled and Khan shot him a repressive look before he dutifully took a bite. Khan grimaced as he chewed on the cookie and then he frowned and looked down at Sky with an intense look on his face.
"Isn't it
great
?" Sky shouted and rushed forward and grabbed Cara's hand. "Let's make more and feed everybody!"
Cara allowed Sky to pull her away from the Ancients and felt the weight of their stares. She knew damn well why Khan looked so closely at Sky. He felt the effects of Sky's magic in the cookies and he probably wasn't used to feelings of warmth, love and comfort. Linnea and Dawn's laughter filled the kitchen and the sound lifted Cara's heart. They both turned when she walked in with Sky.
"Did Khan take the cookie?" Linnea demanded.
Cara nodded and Linnea gave Sky a high five.
"I've made this recipe a dozen times, but these are the best!" Linnea declared and gave Sky a hug.
Cara perched on a stool and shortly after, Linnea plunked a tasty broth in front of her with a slice of fresh bread. Cara smiled as she listened to Sky rave about the castle and food. She was taken with 'Uncle Khan' and 'Uncle Aodhan' and wasn't the least bit afraid of them. She also wanted to meet Linnea's Granddad who had somehow become Sky's Granddad since she didn't have one.
Cara ate as they made two more batches of cookies. Seeing Dawn, Sky and Linnea together felt right. They talked as if they'd known each other forever. Cara wondered distantly what Linnea's 'something
other
' was and if she was aware of it. Cara saw that Linnea was taken with her mom and sister, dazzled even. Sky's magic filled the air, making anyone giddy and happy. Eventually, Sky would learn to harness her magic. Sky would grow up to be like Dawn, a spiritual healer that could cleanse a person's soul with one touch. Cara was sure that's what Khan felt when he ate the cookie and he'd been damn surprised.
Dawn came over, wrapped an arm around Cara's waist and leaned into her. It had been so long since she spent time with her family. She left home young and there was nothing Dawn could do about it. She never pried into Cara's life and whenever she showed up in Montana, no matter if it was a week or three years, Dawn welcomed her with open arms and tears. Having a home kept her going.
Cara felt the presence of the demon a moment before she saw a figure standing at the base of the mountain. It was a fleeting glimpse of a figure in teal, but that was all she needed. She slipped off the stool.
"What is it?" Dawn asked, sensing all was not well.
"Let me step outside for a minute," Cara said.
"You can't," Linnea announced.
"Why?"
"The Master said it isn't safe," Linnea said.
"It's okay," Cara said and walked to the back door. "I'll be right back."
"He's going to kill me if you step outside!" Linnea snapped and stalked after her. "And I like my job. You think I want to go back to America?"
Cara kept her eyes trained on the mountain where she'd seen the flash of teal. "You do know the Internet is international? I think you'd have to live underwater to get away from porn."
"Porn?" Dawn echoed.
Cara whirled and saw that Dawn and Sky had followed as well. "Go back inside. I'll be there in a minute."
Linnea frowned at her and then looked around. "Where are you going?"
"I just need to check something out," Cara said.
They all stared at her, not budging and she mentally swore. She was about to lead them back inside when Linnea jumped a foot, eyes wide.
"Angelina Brockman?" Linnea said, dumbfounded. "What are you doing out here?"
"That's not Angelina Brockman," Dawn said and pulled Sky behind her.
Vanity ignored them and focused on Cara. She was dressed in a teal cocktail dress and had a matching clutch under her arm.
"There's some powerful demons in Doolin," Vanity said in a rush. "They've possessed some of the witches and they're torturing the head of the coven so she can give them permission to get into the castle."
"Gael," Cara whispered.
"Demons?" Linnea repeated looking from Vanity to Cara.
"You know this demon?" Dawn asked and gripped Cara's arm.
"She helped me find Aodhan," Cara said and when she turned back to Vanity, she was gone.
"She was wearing Louboutin's. Where did she go?" Linnea asked and turned in a full circle.
Cara sent her senses out, but she didn't feel the presence of any other demon. "Let's get inside. Hurry."
They responded to the bite in her voice and rushed back into the kitchen. Cara locked the door and looked at her mother.
"Stay here. Don't open the door to anyone, okay?"
"But-" Linnea began.
"You can't go with them," Dawn protested.