Echoes in Eternity (The Pella Series Book 1) (79 page)

How do I find her before this servant of Hades
does? The violent jealousy I feel inside me is ready to burst through my rib cage. First Duke now Apollyon’s fucking minions! “She’s mine!” The words leave my lips so fervently, so possessively, even the idea of someone else taking her to love or hurt her leaves a profound sorrow in me deeper than anything I have ever felt. Why now? Why in this fucking river? Our bond was severed so quickly, it didn’t succeed in severing my feelings for her. In fact, what I feel for Elissa is just bursting through, breaking what little barriers that are remaining within my soul. Someone took a knife and cut half of my soul out. I’m wounded inside, compelled to find my other half. Never in my life have I felt such loss. What a fucking place to realize you love someone so desperately, catastrophically, hopelessly! Why was I such an idiot to not have realized that?

I put aside my feelings and simply operate with my ruthless conqueror side of my mind, shutting out everything except the hunt of the enemy and the rescue of
the girl I love. I stealthily dive under the water again. Phlegethon is focused; trained on an object ahead, close to locating Elissa. Following one of its veins beneath, I move at the speed of the current and finally sense my Elissa! I sense her! It’s unlike anything I have ever felt before. I feel a pull towards her like she and I are two opposite ends of a magnet. Her soul calls out to mine. With renewed determination, I speed towards her, and don’t stop until she’s in my grasp. Elissa’s body is below the surface of the water, floating down the river face down. Her hair is waving as if it’s in the wind. Seeing her like this nearly stops my dark heart. She’s not breathing but her soul is still within her. I speed up to put distance between us and Phlegethon.

“Alex!” a welcome sound reaches my hearing. “Swim towards the barge!” It’s Anthony.

“I think, not!” A hissing sound comes. “Sssshe is for my masssster.” A vein of Phlegethon’s crimson tendrils surround the barge both preventing me from going to help as well as imprisoning Anthony. We have an equal advantage in the water. Phlegethon is not in its natural environment on the surface. I am fast and it’s advantageous for me to be in the water. My strength however doesn’t diminish. When I hear the strong beats of wings, this could be both good and bad. Though Apollyon can’t leave his domain, he has many minions who can do his dirty work. When I see the rapid fire of light, slicing the air at an angle, completely halting and confining Phlegethon, “It’s about fucking time!” I hiss at Marcus. I gather my strength and pool the bulk of my energy on my legs and jump out of the water landing on the bank of the river with Elissa’s limp body in my arms.

I lay her down and listen for any breathing or for a
heartbeat. There isn’t any. I angle Elissa’s head to open her airways. Careful not to break her ribs, I start applying thirty chest compressions and then two breaths of air into her lungs alternating. I can hear the water in her lungs! The beat of wings stirs away the rain and ripples the puddles around us.

“Move!” orders Marcus. The mastery in his voice is unmistakable. He’s not to be argued with.

“No!” I shout with wild eyes and continue doing compressions and administering the breathing techniques trying to provide her with air. Cruel rage, and belligerence boils in my blood.

“Sir!
Please,” Anthony pleads.

“Alex, get away from my daughter! I’ll have to shock her heart!”

“Sir!” Anthony approaches me from behind grasping his arms around my torso to pull me away.

“Get your fucking hands off me!” I toss him several feet away and scramble back to Elissa where Marcus is crouching over her.

“Alex! I’m trying to get her back! Back! Let’s get her breathing…” Marcus utters trying to reach a higher brain function in my head.

“You!” I jab an accusatory finger in his direction. I know Marcus blocked me from being emotionally attached to Elissa. It would have still continued to be so had the bond between us not been severed
tonight. He knew I fell in love with Elissa the very first second I got a glimpse of her! Rage, fury and animosity don’t even cover what I feel for his intrusion right now. “Get her back now! Or I swear on my honor Marcus, if you weren’t Elissa’s father…” words fail me. “Get her back!” He knows that I know. Nodding, he wordlessly and efficiently rips Elissa’s dress and quickly places her in a sheltered dried area. He places one hand on the middle of her right chest above the nipple and the other hand below the nipple on her left chest. We can all see that a surge goes through him into Elissa’s heart. He repeats the process four more times, and Elissa starts coughing and throwing up water. Marcus immediately lifts her up and leans her down but I take my place on her side pushing Marcus away. I hold Elissa’s hair back while patting her back to help her get all the water out of her lungs. The tension doesn’t leave Marcus’s face, but when his lips turn downward and quivers, he makes it look like he’s wiping his brows but, rain or not, the red mist on his eyes doesn’t escape anyone’s attention.

Elissa’s breathing comes harsh, labored and each inhale is torture for her. I pull her to my lap, I turn to Marcus pleading.

“Baby…” he whispers into Elissa’s ear. “I’ll make you better sweetheart.” Without removing her from my arms, he directs me to position her chest towards mine and exposes her back. Placing his hands upon her upper back, his palms shimmer with a layer of pale blue light. He moves it over her back as Anthony, Doc Henry, Turk Stacy stand guard. The labored breathing slowly eases as Elissa falls asleep in my arms completely exhausted.

“Why?” I whisper fervently to Marcus feeling betrayed.

“To save her,” he says simply.

“From me?” I ask incredulous. “I dedicated my existence to her! For centuries for fuck’s sake! Can you show me someone else who can love her as much and protect her as well? Was I doing an inadequate job? Tell me, Marcus, why? No one existed, will ever exist who can love her like I can,” I hiss through gritted teeth.

“That’s exactly why! She needs to exist. Love can get her killed!”

“You fuck with my head again, or hers, Marcus, you don’t want to deal with the consequences.”

“You have no idea what you’re dealing with!”

“I’ve existed for two millennia! I may have an inkling about it!”

“Tell me Alexandros,” he addresses me with my given name, “What is two millennia for angels and the fallen that have existed for eons? Nothing!”

“Yet, those who existed for eons need us, the mere Nephilim. This is the end of the road for any help they would get from me! I’m on
no one’s team. I exist for her and for her alone. Your groups can fight their own damned battles.”

“You don’t mean that! She needs you, and me and all of us here. Is your pride so great that you can forego her security over your petulant anger?”

“I will accept your help in her protection. But don’t you dare take her away from me! She’s half my soul!” I shout. When Elissa shudders in my arm, I stop.

“Alex?” she murmurs with a raspy voice.

“I’m here, angel. I’m here,” I reassure her, gazing at her with love, rubbing her wet, muddy hair.

“Surely, I must be dead. Finally…” she murmurs taking a shaky breath.

“Finally what baby?” I whisper.

“Finally the man I love is holding me and looking at me the way
I dreamed for him to look at me,” she rasps. She loves me! I crush her to my chest. Memories fade, and drain out like the rushing of water leaving us washed but bereft.

The waterfall of light washes over us again; the collective memories stir, spin and are pulled back into the respective individuals. The mental storms in each person’s head fly everything around us, and then finally everything falls as if someone just turned off the wind. We are three bodies tangled into each other on the floor, breathing heavily. Each of us are wet, muddy,
washed in Elissa’s blood and completely naked.

“Elissa?” We both ask at the same time.

“Cold…” her teeth chatter. I scoop her off the floor to the bathroom located inside.

Elissa sleeps two full days, neither
I nor the Duke are willing to leave her side. The first time she opens her eyes, Doc Henry looks up, and moves to her bedside immediately shoving both the Duke and I out of his path.

“How do you feel Elissa?”

“Hi Doc! I could eat a horse. I’m so hungry,” she murmurs. Doc smiles.

“Do you know where you are?”

She looks around with sleepy eyes. Noting the disheveled look on both Duke and I, she realizes for the first time that she didn’t have a nightmare. The moment of her realization is so evident on her face.

“Oh!” she mutters. “Alex,” she acknowledges me.

“Hi, angel.” Duke clenches his teeth.

“Maximillian,” she greets him as well with his given name. Not Duke, I note.

“Elissa,” he murmurs, his voice gruff.

“Alex, can I have a moment with Maximillian please?” she asks. It’s that fucking memory all over again.

“No, Elissa! You know what happened the last time I did that!”

“I’ll let Doc stay this time. I just need this moment with him,” she says smiling at him sweetly, holding her hand out to him.

“Elissa…” I can’t hide the pleading in my voice.

“Please, Alex. I beg of you,” she whispers weakly.

“Five fucking minutes, and not a second more!” I hiss and stalk out the door.

She made her choice. Oh, God! She chose him! I pace outside of her suite’s door wearing a fucking track on the carpet. I count the seconds in my head. She wants him!

“What’s wrong?” Anthony comes rushing towards me after hearing the slamming of her door; his voice is laced with genuine concern. I run two exasperated hands through my now shoulder length wavy hair. My eyes are dark and blazing. I don’t trust my voice not to break.

Anthony looks at the closed door, and then looks at me.

“Duke?” he asks. I nod. I start pacing again.

“Where’s Doc?” he asks.

“In there, possibly officiating their marriage ceremony!” I hiss angrily pointing at the closed door.

“What the hell are you doing here then? I thought you’d fight for her!” he accuses.

“She asked me to leave…” my voice breaks.

“For five minutes, goodness’ sakes!” Elissa’s voice comes from her door, completely weak.

“But you said…”

“It’s always been you, Alex. Only you,” she whispers stumbling. I rush to her and lift her in my arms.

“Dooooc!”

“Her change was initiated. There’s nothing I can do. We’ll just watch it run its course, and stay vigilant.”

“Let’s move her to the ranch then. Get every man ready,” I order Anthony.

“How long does it take, Doc?” I ask Henry.

“Hard to tell. Marcus said that your change took fourteen days. It may be the same. Or different. She is Marcus’s daughter after all.”

“Is she in pain?” I whisper.

Doc clenches his teeth. “I’m afraid so.” My lips thin.

“What can you do to ease her pain?”

“Nothing. There are no medications for this.”

“Get Stella! She might have something else,” I order.

“Are you sure? Where Stella goes, Gabriel comes.”

“Do we have a choice?”

“Right.” He says and heaves.

“I’m not leaving her. If anything goes wrong, she’s going to need me,” Duke comes near me.

“She’s mine!” I hiss. He doesn’t reply.

“She’s going to need me Alex. As long as she wants you, I won’t encroach into your territory, but I will not deny my help to her. Let me help her! I owe her that much,” Duke pleads.
Even though I know he won’t give up this easily, I reluctantly nod.