The Unforgiven (6 page)

Flame gripped Von’s hand and gasped, stunned that her supreme ruler could do such a thing.
I almost told her about my baby. I cannot.
She buried her thoughts deep.

“You must find Paloma and use the key to receive the gift we have prepared for you and complete the immortal circle—the power of three.”

“Three?”

“The man who is your true destiny, you and your Satellite are the chosen three. I won’t force you to give up your Satellite…you won him fairly and with honor. But please, Flame, unbind yourself from him. You are water and he is pure fire. The two can never be.”

The memory of Von setting her daggers ablaze with a mere touch whipped through her mind.
He is fire!
She stopped her thoughts there, for fear the Lioness would see into her heart. Slowly she looked from the Lioness to Von, and back to her high ruler again.

“And if I refuse?”

“Then you will be on your own, forever on the run from Twilight as they search for the key.”

“I wonder, my lady,” she said with a sad heart. “Which of us is
really
the tool? Von? Raef? My mother...or me?”

“It’s not as you’re thinking, child—you are the one everybody needs. Please don’t let history repeat itself. Accept your destiny.”

“I’ll find Paloma and destroy everyone who had a hand in this mess. I’ll travel to the
Flaming Wall
and accept my gift…I will accept my
true
destiny.” She stood up and pulled Von up with her. “I just hope you’ll be able to accept the end result.”

“Flame…slow down.” Von caught her by the arm. “Are you leaving already?”

She didn’t break stride while jogging along the outskirts of the living area. “Shush, we’ll talk later.”

“No farewell to Phoebe?”

Flame shook her head. “She already knows too much. Now please, don’t talk.”

He cast her a questioning look but didn’t push. They made haste toward the wall of trees.

Odyssey escorted them to the other side in his magical way. The method of passage began to make sense to her. Clearly, her sisterhood had known about this mysterious phenomenon all along. By attaching oneself to an immortal being, the mortal body was able to channel the power and travel in the same manner.
This must be why they created the serum…to protect the village and become infallible.

“What’s it like being immortal?” she asked Von as they hiked at a brisk pace back to his bike.

“A lot better now.”

“I’m serious.”

“It’s good, babe, unless you lose your humanity. If that happens, living forever is a hellish existence.”

“Do you think that could happen to me? Should I take this serum they have for me?”

“Selfishly I would say yes, because it would give me an eternity with you. But this choice must be yours. And no, I don’t believe a woman like you could ever lose her humanity.”

“Your intuition is strong. You had a feeling about this key that everyone wants.”

“I didn’t have this level of perception until after the first blood-bond with you. My sixth sense seems to grow stronger every day since we did the ritual.”

“That must be why the Lioness seemed upset when I told her. She doesn’t want you to be on the inside track.”

“Ya think?” Von let out a sardonic laugh. “Your ruler doesn’t want me anywhere near you except to help you find the horse.”

Flame stopped and turned toward him. “I don’t care what she wants, not anymore. I’ve done everything her way all my life. She took Naami’s unborn child! I was furious with Naami, but stripping her mind and sending her away was punishment enough. I had no idea they forced her to miscarry just to seal a gap.” Tears gathered at the corners of her eyes. “I’m beginning to think that having one supreme power is not a good thing. They need to keep each other in check. If my rulers feel justified in taking innocent life, are they any better than the evil realm?”

“I don’t have the answers.” A worried look flitted through his eyes.

“They aren’t getting her.” Flame grabbed his hand and laid it over her stomach. “She belongs to us. Nobody is taking this from us. They’ve already stolen enough.”

“You’d go up against your supreme ruler to stay with me?”

“You did it for me. Do you think I love you any less?”

He searched her eyes as if seeking the truth then gave a slow shake of his head. “No…I believe in you, I’ve always believed in you.”

“Just who
are
we fighting, Von?”

“Maybe the better question is who are we fighting for?”

“Us.” She lifted his hand and placed a loving kiss on his palm.

His expression softened. ”I wasn’t going to take you to Twilight’s domain just because your ruler commanded it. I finally broke away from mind control. I wasn’t about to fall under someone else’s.”

“So you
are
going to take me to their nest?”

“Yeah.” His reply was kind and calm. “I’ll help you through this.”

“What changed your mind? I wouldn’t blame you for refusing after the way she treated you.”

“When you blocked your thoughts from her to protect our child, I decided to help you find this wall. You deserve this life-changing gift, if it’s what you want.”

“You were able to read my mind even though I closed it to her?”

“You read mine, and I sure as hell didn’t have it opened to her. We are strong, babe, stronger than you realize.”

“I want this gift and I want to rescue my mother’s horse. I want to rewrite history.” Her eyes teared again. “My mother died because she fell in love. Coop was actually torn between worlds and the Lioness did nothing to help them. They could’ve been saved, but once they birthed what everyone wanted, their lives didn’t matter. No wonder he was a bitter old man.”

“I really expected to see more forgiveness and love inside your world. The environment is pure and almost fantasy-like. Yet the laws and punishments are cold and unyielding.”

“Blind trust can be a dangerous thing. The sisterhood is all I’ve ever known, and I devoted my life to their service. I believed that everything we did served a deeper purpose, that our mission was always justice.” She gave a heavy sigh and whisked tears from her cheeks, then stared up at him. “I see no justice in any of this, and when it came to my mother and father…when it comes to you and me…it seems that
we
are the
unforgiven
.”

His expression deepened. The soulful look in his eyes revealed the truth in her words. He, too, had come to a deeper realization of the reason for their existence. She received his thoughts and feelings clearly, as if he’d spoken them. He framed her face with both hands and kissed her lips. Their eyes met again for an intense exchange of unspoken emotion, then he pulled her close and hugged her as if he’d never let go. She clung to his embrace, soaking in the strong comfort he offered. Nothing had ever felt this safe.

* * * *

They walked the rest of the way in silence. Von kept her close and held her hand. Nobody was going to take this woman from him regardless of what the Lioness intended to do. He had a pretty good idea of which man her femme-fatale nation had chosen for Flame. He wondered how they’d bring him back across the realm, or if they’d already returned Raef to this world. Fighting ghouls and the master of darkness never scared him. He’d taken his risks without a second thought and would do it again.

But this ghost worried him. The sisterhood had proven themselves worthy opponents to use the first man Flame had loved as a means to accomplish their ultimate goal. He had no doubt that once he helped her receive her gift, their next mission would be eliminating him from her life. Apparently, Raef had struck a deal with the Lioness for her to give him the key, and they’d used Von’s immortal status to keep Flame’s pretty-boy lover alive in her mind. She practically viewed him as a martyr, which presented a bigger challenge than if he’d never died.

With Naami’s pregnancy terminated, the physical connection between her and Raef was now gone, freeing Flame from the sting of betrayal. They were smart to remove Naami from the scene in every way. Very shrewd and cold tactics, from a nation reputed to be pure and untainted. While Flame had been looking the other way trying to save Raef’s soul from Twilight’s grip, her very own supreme ruler had him in the palm of her hand the entire time.

He shook his head in dismay. During a war of souls, he’d been so focused on Flame that an enemy even more cunning than the Twilight Master had slipped under his radar. At this point, the only thing he trusted was Flame’s love. She didn’t seem concerned about the chosen male, nor had he sensed her thinking about Raef other than feeling sad over his role.

But how will she feel when he shows up one day
and wants her back?

Von shrugged off an unwelcome chill. He had not seen this coming and didn’t appreciate the blindsided attack.

“You’ve been very quiet,” she said when they reached his Harley. “I’m surprised that you held your tongue during the entire meeting.”

“I had nothing to say to her.”

She gazed up at him with the eyes that always melted his ice. “You’re worried about something. What is it?”

“Nothing I want to talk about.”

“I thought we weren’t going to hold back on each other anymore.”

“Just mulling things over. I’m not going to fill your head with speculation. When I have facts, you will know.”

He thought she would push for more, but after a scrutinizing look, she nodded in agreement and prepared to ride. He straddled the seat to her front. Her arms slid around his waist as she settled in behind him and got cozy. He loved having her ride behind him.

“When will we head out for Twilight’s nest?”

“Tomorrow night. This night is about gone and we’ll have a better shot at going in unseen by dark.”

“Does this place have a name?”

“They call it Nekkar.”

“Creepy.”

“That’s an understatement.” He kicked his bike into gear. “Hold tight, babe.”

“Hey, gorgeous,” she purred right next to his ear.

He couldn’t help but grin. Her voice floated over him like honey, especially using those words. He turned his head a little in anticipation of what she had on her mind now.

“Stop worrying about the man chosen by the Lioness.” She bit playfully at his ear, then his neck, making him hard. “There isn’t anyone they can produce who will take my eyes off you.”

“Hm.” He cocked one brow. “Give that pretty head of yours a rest and enjoy the ride.” He realized that she’d be a hard woman to catch off guard. If he ever did want to spring a pleasant surprise on her, he’d have to stay sharp.

Von took her back to his favorite place in San Diego, the remote cove on the beach where their first steamy encounter had taken place. Though she’d killed him that night, he still held fond memories of his time with her. Tasting her sweet lips, caressing her satiny skin, and breathing in her delicate floral scent had lingered in his senses even after death.

“You really are a masochist,” she teased after they parked and dismounted.

He laughed and grabbed her waist. “Woman, you could bring any man to his knees just for one taste of your sweetness.” She was a vision of heaven standing against a backdrop of a rising sun casting its light on the sparkling waves.

“I doubt many men would still want me after I killed them.”

“True, maybe I am a masochist.” He grinned.

“Ian was quite angry with me. Scared the hell out of me when he showed up. I’m glad you trapped him in the house.”

“You were dealing with Twilight’s tormenting mist. I couldn’t let Ian torture you, too.”

“After we rescue Paloma and I get all immortal and stuff, where will we raise our daughter? On this beach?” She gave him an impish grin.

“I could get a job like boring mortal men and buy you a house, but could a woman who has been raised in a remote village truly be happy confined by walls of wood?”

“Probably not. We won’t be able to live in the village. Where will we go?”

“I’ve seen many amazing islands in my travels. I’m sure we’ll find a place when the time is right.”

“Look at me, already putting down roots. You might not find me as thrilling once I’m a mother.”

“On the contrary, you’ll be even more appealing, if that’s possible. I’ve never had a child. I won’t be able to take my eyes off you. I don’t want to miss a single second of watching you with our daughter. I saw a side of you with the horse that I’ve never seen. You are like nature…unpredictable, wild, and calm at the same time.”

“Wow,” her voice carried an air of sincerity and surprise. “I had no idea you could be so…so—”

“Romantic?”

“That fits. You make me feel like the luckiest woman alive.”

He placed a light kiss on her lips. “I hope you always feel this way.”

They strolled a short distance along the water’s edge to his campsite, now void of creepers. He was relieved to finally be rid of Twilight’s scum. When Hatch’s identity as the Twilight Master had been discovered, he disappeared and took his pathetic army with him. Von knew they’d encounter the goons on the island of Nekkar but for now, he had Flame all to himself again. He figured she must be hungry so he built a small cooking fire in a stone pit. She perched herself on a large rock and watched him.

“You haven’t eaten since we arrived at your village. I can run down the road and grab some stuff to toss over the fire. What would you like?”

“How do you buy food without money?”

“I have money.”

“How?”

He braced both hands on the rock while leaning over her. “Don’t worry about it, and no, I didn’t steal it. Now what can I get you to eat?”

“Can you cook steak and eggs over that fire?”

“My favorite. You look tired, babe. Wanna stay here and relax while I make a quick run?”

She nodded with sleepy eyes. “Leave me that nice blanket before you go. I’ll just stretch out beside the fire until you return.”

After watching her get comfortable, he straddled his bike and keyed the ignition. Today they’d enjoy a heavenly afternoon on the beach before riding into hell at dark. He hoped the horse would be easy to find and rescue. He didn’t like the idea of taking his woman into the volatile region of Twilight’s darkest hole. His only consolation about going into this mess was Flame’s heightened senses. She obviously enjoyed utilizing their blood-bond to its fullest extent. If he were a mortal man, she’d have drained him by now. Her hunger for the energy in his soul was constant and fierce.

His gaze drifted over her nice ass and long shapely legs as she lay facing the fire. She’d kicked off her boots and tucked those dainty bare feet behind her knees. Morning sunlight picked up the streaks of gold in the beautiful long hair tossed carelessly over her shoulders and back.

Don’t worry, Mon Coeur, I’ll take care of you…I have more than enough energy to share with you.