Daughter of Asteria (The Daughter Trilogy) (35 page)

Apparently she’s been trying to get my attention for a while, given her agitation.

“Watch your tone, mother. Think of what she just had to endure. I believe you told me being

targeted by an army of dead is one of the worst things you’ve ever experienced,” Devin scolds.

Her eyes soften, and she sits down on the coffee table in front of us. She takes a deep breath

before resuming with a more ginger tone.

“I’m sorry. There’s a time frame here though. We’ve got seven days before they return for us,

and that was our only pass. I’m surprised Safina showed her hand knowing how quickly we could

dismiss them this time,” she huffs.

“She wanted us to dismiss them. She knew this would be the only time we could banish them that

way. Next time we’ll have to fight whether we’re ready or not,” Persia sighs through her angst.

“She’s been inside of Adisia, and she’s seen her fears, all of them. We need to know about this guy,

and what he did to you,” she continues, turning her attention on me for the last bit.

“No,” I whimper, and Devin’s arms embrace me tighter.

This part of my life has been locked away for years. How dare this bitch come into my mind and

use it against me.

“Why did she target my daughter?” Persia blares.

“She’s most likely found a way to unlock her memories. You were right. She’s been in her mind,

and now she’s accessed the memories she didn’t bother to look at when she first entered,” Theia

releases in a solemn tone.

“How did they find us?” Kry gripes. “We haven’t been out here long enough for them to track our

power.”

“They’ve watched our every move. We learned this the first time. They’ve probably learned all

of our aliases, our homes, our accounts… everything. We need new shelter,” Theia sighs.

“I have a place we can stay,” the woman who scolded Slash earlier states.

“No. It’s too dangerous. Safina knows about all of us, our lineage, and our descendents. It’s

possible she has scoped out everyone. She knew we’d be meeting somewhere big and safe. She

knows of our unity. We need somewhere new,” Theia counters.

“I have a place. Safina never knew me or anything about me. I’ve made it a habit to stay under

the radar because of the Athena girls. We should be safe there,” Persia promises.

“I’ll get our stuff, but we really do need to know as much about the leader of the dead as possible.

His life and… his death,” Theia insists.

“No,” I whimper again just before the lights dim into nonexistence as my mind shuts down and

forces me to escape this horrid reality.

Chapter 12

No One Stays Dead Anymore

A light
thud
stirs me from my accidental sleep, and I wake up to see we’re on the jet. I feel a

delicious warmth pressed against me, and I smile when I see it’s Devin.

His eyes are still closed, and his arm is protectively draped around me. A blanket is gathered

around my waist, and I quickly hide my left hand that no longer bears his ring. The tattoo I want to

keep a secret is shining for all to see - if anyone was awake to see it that is.

Thankfully the sleeping beauties haven’t had a chance to notice it.

Devin’s eyes flutter open, and he speaks softly when he sees I’m already awake.

“You okay?”

“I feel better. What happened to me?”

Theia strides over to take my right hand in hers, and then she leads me off the plane while

explaining.

“The army of the dead is led by one each time. That army will stand until that leader falls. The

leader is chosen to signal the target of the attack. It’s the only way she can instill enough hatred to

carry out the plan. It has to be a mortal that struck fear in you while you were mortal. The fear you

felt is multiplied by the hundreds when their eyes gaze into yours. Next time, avoid eye contact. It’s

been enough to kill people in the past,” she cautions. “I thought it was meant for one of my family

which is why I cast my blood.”

“They didn’t look dead. Van died years ago,” I mumble in complete disbelief.

“She breathes life into them, and they are just as lively as they were in the year before their

death,” she says just before my eyes fall on the landscape and the glorious house setting atop it.

I gasp in disbelief at the scenery that looks almost exactly like the one we just left, and Devin

flashes to Persia’s side.

“You know this place could be compromised within a week or two,” he warns.

“I know. I’m willing to give it up. My daughter’s safety is far more important than any home I

own,” she asserts.

“How do we stop them?” I ask Theia.

Persia and Devin both avoid the conversation by flashing up to the house. Theia’s eyes follow the

top of the sand while she speaks quietly.

“It’s going to be hard, but if you can overcome your fear, then you can kill him again,” she

murmurs gently as we walk through the doors of the gallantly breathtaking house.

“Again?” I question.

The way she said it made it feel as though I had killed him.

“We can discuss it later. I need to speak with some of the others, and we need to settle in too

before we get to the hard stuff. Plus, I need a drink,” she exasperates.

“Wow,” I gasp as I stare around at the fully loaded down space, dripping with character, color,

and an overwhelming amount of familiarity despite the fact I’ve never been here.

It’s my favorite shade of whimsical, and it almost makes me smile despite the ridiculously

overwhelming fear still oozing through my bones.

Apparently I inherited my love for the prime color chart from Persia.

The brightly painted walls are loudly screeching their ripe orange hue. A brilliant blue grabs my

attention as we turn into the living area, and every surface is littered with pictures… of me.

My breath escapes as I pick one up and stare at myself when I was eight years old. I’m wearing

the tiara I had treasured, and I’m riding my bike down my suburban street.

“I remember that day. You were so proud of the new bike your parents bought you, and I sat out

there for hours watching. You laughed until it hurt when your father chased you down the road, and

your mother had to force you to come inside for supper.

“I cried that day when I saw how truly happy you were in your life, and I knew I had made the

best decision for you even though it was killing me,” Persia says from behind me.

I turn around to meet her teary eyes, and I feel the need to hug her. She’s feeling more like

family with every passing second. Her arms close around me, and I lean into her embrace.

There’s nothing to say, so we just stand there in silence until a very rudely obnoxious interruption

stumbles into the room with us.

“Oh that’s the hottest mother-daughter combo I’ve ever seen,” Jace blurts out.

I turn around to roll my eyes and realize there are several mouths drooling puddles from them.

Persia chuckles lightly, and Hale runs his fingers through his hair as he stalks toward her.

“I’d love to show you how close you can get to the sun without getting burned,” Hale seduces, and

I instantly snort in derision as I hear the recycled line he’s used on me in the past.

He ignores my obvious distaste, and Persia’s eyes flash green for a moment before a devious

smirk spreads over her face.

“I’ve visited the sun before and learned nothing burns worse than I do,” she smolders.

He shivers as he slinks down from the powerful goddess. She walks off very proud of herself, and

Hale’s face spreads into a goofy grin.

“Mmm. I wish I had found this family a long time ago,” he sighs dreamily.

I slap his arm, and he just laughs in response. I turn to start up the stairs, but something intrigues

me. There’s a doubled-door entrance down the hall with my name burned into it.

I open the doors to a vibrant red, enormous room. The oversized bed is decorated with lush folds

of fabric designed for a queen. The ornate details carved into the odd bed demand to be seen, and they

only add to the ridiculous decorations.

The crystal chandelier dangles in the room to offer romantic ambience, and I feel the seductive

draw nesting within.

“I need to take a look at your hand to make sure it’s healing properly,” Devin’s voice rings out

from behind, and I gasp in startled fear.

His eyes soften, and he walks over to take my hand in his. I relinquish my right hand, and the

wound that once gaped from Kry’s blade has completely closed up. His body radiates the exquisite

heat I’ve desired for so long, and I have to distract myself.

“How do Kry’s blades cut through our flesh?”

Devin seems indifferent to the question as he resumes his examination.

“Many immortals forge weapons to conduct their strengths when their power isn’t an offensive

weapon. Any weapon forged in the hands of an immortal bears the strength of that immortal,” he

answers informatively. “Theia needs you downstairs. You know the questions she’s going to ask, and

if you don’t want to answer them, then she can just look,” he says soothingly.

“Look? No. I don’t want her taking a peek in my mind anymore. I don’t want anyone running

amuck in there anymore,” I grumble.

“Do you think you can tell us about him?” he asks in his tone that makes me feel as though he’s

addressing a frightened child.

“Nothing about my interaction with him will help us,” I counter.

“She says it will. Whatever happened is fueling his rage, and it’s giving him strength. We need

to know what we’re dealing with before we can figure out how to take him down,” he explains.

I huff out loudly and shake my head. His hand catches mine and his eyes burn against the

forgotten tattoo on my hand.

“This is what you had Hale put on you?” he asks with sincere and saddened excitement.

“Yeah,” I mumble with a little embarrassment as I tuck my hand into my pocket.

“That’s my name and the ocean. Why did you get that?” he inquires with such a baffled tone.

Isn’t it obvious?

“I-”

“Devin. Adisia. Please joins us,” Theia’s voice beckons from downstairs.

He takes my hand in his, and we flash down to join the others. Each expectant face stares at me

with complete quizzicality.

“Will you show me?” Theia asks hopefully.

“No, but I’ll tell you. I don’t ever want to discuss this again though,” I rattle out.

Devin seems so worried, and no one is acting like this is any easier for them than it is me.

“Can we go outside? I don’t want to feel confined right now,” I say while tugging at the collar on

my shirt that is nowhere close to strangling me.

I feel claustrophobic for the first time in my life, and I can’t fight the anxiety burning against me.

Devin’s hand takes mine again, and we slowly follow the others at a near crawl.

“I’m sorry you have to do this,” he whispers.

“So am I,” I growl.

It’s almost too much. The lingering stings of the burning fear aches inside me, and I want to

scream out at the world. I double over as it hits me in waves, and Devin starts to scoop me in his

arms.

I push him back when I feel something strong bubbling inside me and going crazy. I know this

feel. I felt it just before the fire flew from my hands, and I finally do scream as it surges from me in a

barbarous flame.

Kry has to duck and roll out of the way as it explodes farther from my body, and Persia gasps in

complete disbelief as the water bubbles on the surface as it’s struck by my vicious, unexpected wrath.

I scream louder as it finally ceases the unruly release, and everyone’s eyes stare expectantly at me

as they try to assess if what they just saw was real.

It’s not Aphrodite’s passion, assholes.

“I told you,” I whimper. “I told you there was fire. What else is in me?”

Devin’s arm pulls me to him, and I look down to see bits of my clothes have now been scorched.

I’m going to need a fire suit that’s flame resistant from the inside out if this keeps up.

“I don’t know,” Theia gasps. She turns to Persia before continuing, “Do you have any clue as to

who Sapphire was fathered by? Anything at all to solve this piece of the puzzle?”

“No,” Persia says shortly, her eyes telling me she’s holding back.

She is hiding something. I can tell it. Why won’t she tell me?

I feel so much better now that the fire has run from my body. The anxiety has traveled away

through the flame, and I sit down while taking a deep breath. I’ve got to get this out quick before it

returns.

“I met Van when I was eighteen,” I say before swallowing against the knot in my throat. All eyes

quickly return to me as I continue with my heavy, daunting explanation. “Clara’s family has a home

in the Hamptons, and we stayed there the summer after we graduated. Van asked me out the first day

we were on the beach. A date turned into a whirlwind romance overnight, and I quickly realized he

wasn’t the guy for me when I found his lips crushed against another girl’s,” I say with pause as tears

fill up in my eyes.