Blakeshire (28 page)

I
reached to trace his strong jawline. “I’m not sure I know how to do this…”

“Trust me. You do,” he said with a boyish smile.

“What do you know?” I asked as I playfully glared at him.

“I’m as strong as I am because of the memories I have of this act. I pull from them.”

Before I said something smart or made him prove where those memories came from, I smiled. “Lead the way, Blakeshire.”

He gently reached to close my eyes. I had seen this act in his thoughts before; I had seen it in the memories that were now mine. I knew I had to be calm. That I had to rise out of my body, and from that point natural desire would take over.

It took everything I had, but I found that peace. I found that balance, and I felt myself leave my vessel.

I never bothered to open my eyes to find him, to see if he was in or out of his body; I could sense him, feel the heat of his essence holding me. I was sure that we were lying beside our bodies, mocking the embrace that our corporeal forms had.

With a graceful ease, I pulled him to me, knowing instantly that our flesh was absent. We were soul to soul and breaths away from truly becoming one, from forming a bond that could not be broken with mere actions or words.

I felt his commanding energy sliding into mine. Fervor was birthed then. It was so hot that it was vibrating; a deep hum resonated in my soul and sent an electric sensation radiating throughout every part of me.

He moved slightly, and that one move completely submerged our essence into one. Explosions erupted with us. They were so powerful that I questioned at first if time had resumed, if the very palace itself were erupting.

As one explosion would find its end, another was created. Our souls were pulsing with a raw power that was indescribable. I could swear that I felt chains breaking away, freedom being born. I felt alive—truly alive—for the first time ever in my life.

Once the initial shock of this connection had settled, I felt our essences healing each other. The dark corners of my soul that held my negative thoughts were flooded with reassurance, and at the same time my energy swarmed through every dark corner of his soul. I felt the coldness he fought with; it was dense and deep, so deep that it would take far more time than we had on this night to repair—but I was going to make damn sure that coldness was well aware that its demise was imminent.

I would have sworn days had gone by before we pulled ourselves out of that intoxicating bliss.

Dazedly, I opened my eyes slowly to see his pensive gaze falling over me.

“Did I hurt you?” he asked gently.

I let a guilty smile absorb my face. “Are you serious right now?”

“Very,” he said as he reached to trace my bottom lip.

“You stopped the aching starvation that I have endured for far too long…”

A smile that matched the relief I felt coming from him nearly took my breath away. “Madison Marie…I’ve missed you.”

I leaned up to let my lips meet his, silently telling him that I could not agree more. We started to lose control in each other’s arms, but somehow I managed to get ahold of my senses. There was a tragedy that was frozen just outside my window. This world needed its king, and if I held him any longer tonight karma would surely have its say.

I pulled away with a gasp. “You have to go,” I said as I pushed him away.

“What’s wrong?” he breathed, clearly thinking I was pushing him away out of fear.

I pointed to the window. “How many days has this night lasted at this point?” I couldn’t hold in the sly smile that surfaced.

He grimaced playfully as a moan bellowed from his chest. “A while.”

“Blakeshire,” I said as I moved my head from side to side.

“You come first.”

“Your people need their king.”

He let out a sigh before he stole one more deep kiss from my lips. As he moved away, I playfully reached for his hand to kiss his flesh once more, but before my lips found that appeasement I noticed that his wounds were gone.

“What the hell?” I murmured.

He pulled his hand to him so he could see the lack of damage. “Where have you been, Madison Marie…?”

“I think they call it Infante. Salem, specifically.”

He laughed as he leaned in for another kiss before disappearing into the closet.

Once I caught my breath, I rose from the bed and made my way toward the window.

After willing the drapes open in the distance, I saw that the sky was a vibrant orange. The explosion was so new that black smoke had yet to join the fire. Instead, you could see white racing through the fire, the birth of the conflagration in progress. I let out a little prayer that every soul in its path had been moved.

A frantic pounding on my door caught me so off guard that I jumped forward.

I was right before: whatever vacation I had from dark emotions was ending. An insane sense of urgency absorbed me as I turned to face my closed door.

Chapter
Nineteen

Drake emerged from the closet, staring at the door as he fastened the cuff on his wrist. He reached back and grabbed a robe for me. I met him in the center of the room. He waited until I had my robe pulled closed before he willed the door open with a glance.

Standing there was my cousin—not Aden, but Draven. I held in a breath as I saw the colors of his aura halo around him. I was seeing him the way I always had before my insights had gone on hiatus. On instinct, my mind asked where he had been, how he was still moving if time was halted.

My answers came back to me just as smoothly as they had in the past: this time freeze no longer affected him or Charlie. They had been tested by Landen. Apparently, he and Willow were also immune to this power. Around Draven I saw The Realm, what could only be the Veil of death. It was clear he and Charlie had been fighting their own battles recently.

Draven took one look at me. “You all right?”

I nodded once. “Apparently, better than ever.”

Draven’s eyes met Drake’s. “They need you to let it go now.”

“Everyone is in place,” Drake said as he adjusted his tie.

“Apparently not, but we can’t make what is wrong right until time moves,” Draven said as he gazed over me and raised one brow and gave me a nod of approval. That said a lot. Aden was my nice twin cousin; Draven was harder to convince. He was condoning mine and Drake’s relationship. This would be the first time Draven had
ever
approved of anyone I was dating or considering dating.

“Is he going to be okay?” Drake asked Draven.

He? What was going on? Who was hurt?

“It was told to me. I haven’t seen it happen, and if it does I will never be right again,” Draven said. He tilted his head “Are you seeing now? Do you own that insight?” Draven asked, stepping closer to Drake. It wouldn’t matter how close he came to him; Drake’s eyes were too dark to see his pupils expand.

An uncharacteristic blush surfaced on Drake’s skin as his eyes moved to me. “I suppose I am.”

I felt the relief in Draven, but the emotions coming from Drake were nearing rage which was odd because he was staring at me.

“In the dimension the rest of us are in, we are far ahead of you in time now. Phoenix said time here would surge forward. I’m not sure all of us are going to line up now. I have to go back to the Veil. We are building our charge against the lords of death at this moment. Are you letting time go now?” Draven asked him.

Lords of death? Phoenix? What the hell had been going on in their lives? Holy crap, I thought Draven and Charlie were writing music somewhere, maybe picking a fight just so they could have fun making up. Now this? I was so lost and worried about Charlie and Draven, but at the same time I knew I needed to be here. I felt like I was late for something.

“In a minute,” Drake said, holding his stare on me.

Draven glanced between the two of us, and suddenly I felt the same rage Drake had within Draven. “Where’s Aden?” he asked me.

“Asleep.”

“Don’t leave him, Maddie. You stay safe. You hear me?” Draven said in his familiar stubborn tone.

“Yes, sir,” I responded mockingly.

Draven rolled his eyes before he vanished.

~Drake~

Why does my life always work out like this? Why is every moment of bliss followed by hell?

She broke the bonds of the cold that were in my soul. It wasn’t all gone, but I had more control now than I
ever
had. She shared her soul with me, made a mystical vow that we were now one.

Apparently, that vow shared our insights. That should make me happy, give me peace that she would have the same strength in her energy that I had in mine. That wasn’t the issue. The issue was now I could ‘see’ as clear as day. I saw the time she was away from me today. I saw him. I saw the doubt in her eyes. Right now, I felt played.

I willed the door closed with a glance before turning to face her. “You said he just touched your knee.”

She looked at me like I was insane, but then darkness flooded her emerald green eyes. She saw my thoughts centered around Britain.

“You were already mad enough. It doesn’t matter.”

“It doesn’t matter that he has threatened your life? That he has stated over and over again that you have to leave with him?” My words were cold and accusing. I couldn’t help it. I really couldn’t.

“Not to me.”

Britain was as good as dead. “Treason. Penalty. Death.”

“What has gotten into you?”

“Gotten into me? Nothing. Now I understand why this was so hard for you: he is in your head.”

“No one is in my head,” she snapped back.

I pointed to the bed. “How many times did you question whose bed that was? And remember that I can read your eyes better than any book, with or without the ability to see.”

“A few.”

This could not be happening. Not now. If she truly doubted me, I didn’t think I wanted to know the truth. But rage had taken over. “So minutes after you told me you loved me, he was in your head. As you walked across this room with me, you were hearing him? Testing me?”

“We are past this.”

“Are we? He is still in the palace.”

“And whose side are you leaving
our
bed to fight alongside?”

She did not just go there. “So this is a war of exes?”

“That is what you are making it out to be. I didn’t hide anything from you. If you can see as clearly as you are saying that you can, then evidently you heard what I said to him.”

“I heard you tell him that you are with me because he cheated on you. What if he hadn’t? What then, Madison Marie?” The anger was gone from my voice. I was using the judgmental royal tone I was taught to use.

“I came here,” she bit out. “I left him and came here to save your
ass.
”

“And you begged to leave seconds after you did.”

“As any sane woman would do!” she said as she threw her hands in the air.

“Willow
was not the only one between you and me. Britain is right beside her.”

All she could do was glare at first. “Willow is not between us any longer, and Britain never was. I am nothing more than food to him.”

I smirked. “Doubt that.”

“And why is that?”

“Because I saw how he looked at you. I saw him feel you up when I was feet away. I saw him bring you food that was no doubt laced with something that would have impaired you beyond reason.” Xavier was behind this. I knew he was. He knew all along that Madison was mine. He sent his minion to her world to seduce her. There would not be a death that would ever match what he deserved.

“An action that was retaliated against. Food that I didn’t eat. Where the hell is this jealousy coming from?” she argued.

I stared at her endlessly. I had every right to be wrathful, but I had no idea why I was jealous. I could easily see that she loved me. What the hell was going on? “I don’t know. But I know I don’t like it.”

She glanced down, then at the bed, before looking back at me. I saw what she was processing. Right now, I was jealous and only seeing the dark side. She was on the defensive, explaining away her actions with reason. We had shifted. We had traded points of view. It had to be because of the energy we shared before. There was no other reason for this to happen this fast.

“We have shared so much tonight. Clearly, some of the negative has been passed between us. There is no reason for you to be jealous…I already told you how I feel.”

Creator, I love this woman. Please don’t take her away from me.

My anger washed away. “You’re right.” I stepped forward and pulled her against me. “That doesn’t mean I have to like it. That I will not fear for your safety. That boy and Donalt can and will hurt you.”

She didn’t bother to reply. I had the suspicion that her fear was back. That could not be good. She needed to be fearless if what I saw in Draven’s mind had any chance of coming true. Beyond losing her, the worst thing that could happen would be me watching her grieve.

“Promise you will stay with Aden.” That was as close as I was going to get to telling her that both Landen and Draven had seen a harsh future for her cousin Aden. I knew she could keep him safe if she did indeed have any of my energy within her.

“Like some weak girl who can’t defend herself?”

“You need to keep him safe just as much as he needs to keep you safe.”

She didn’t want to know what I knew. If she did, she would be searching my mind endlessly for the answers to the questions that were on the tip of her tongue.

“Your kingdom is waiting,” she finally said.

I leaned down and let my lips meet her forehead. She reached for the lapels on my coat to pull me closer.

I held her for a silent moment, then let her go and walked to the window.

“How are these explosions impacting Willow and Landen? Draven and Charlie?” she asked timidly.

“Apparently, my kingdom is attacking his. Dividing us. But we will turn what is meant to hurt us into a power.”

I held my stare on the horizon. I needed to let this go slowly. If I didn’t manage to control the wave of time that was to flow forward, more than a few lives were at risk. Key players in this war.

The floor trembled slightly, and the fire on the horizon expanded in such a subtle manner that I doubted it had moved. Another tremble. The fire moved more, and black smoke was starting to emerge. That went on for what seemed like forever, then all at once I could see the fire on the horizon moving with the natural flow of time.

“That would not have been fun if it hap
pened the way it should have,” she said under her breath.

I just hoped it was slow enough. Creator-speed to Landen C
hambers. He needed all the help he could get right now.

I turned to face her, urged her chin up, let my lips rest against hers for a brief second, then pulled slowly away. “I’ll be back as soon as they are calm. It’s near dawn. Try and get some rest.”

She only offered a nod.

I reached to trace her bottom lip before I walked away. Just as I reached the door, another violent explosion erupted. It was so strong that it nearly knocked her off her feet. I was at her side that instant. She was trembling.

“What was that?” she gasped.

My eyes were trained at the window. Time was sailing forward. Not good at all. I was massively late now. I had to go before all of the premade plans I had with the others became pointless.

As soon as she stopped trembling, I kissed her forehead, then swiftly stood to leave.

~Madison ~

I stared at him as he left—at all the regal dominance his essence was pouring into the air. He was born to be a king, that much was for sure. The sad part was that I knew I was not born to be any queen. I was an obsessive fighter at my core.

My gaze moved to the window for countless moments. I could see the sun rising, people rushing from their homes, them climbing to their rooftops to peer at the damage. Their emotions were rich in the air, and I could feel them all. I tested myself over and over, waiting for the pain I had felt in the past to surface, but it remained dormant. I was running out of time. If I had any plans of chasing any fears I had—if I planned on diving into any water—I had to do that now.

I ditched my robe and pulled on a tank top, a pair of jeans, socks, and short combat boots. I thought about grabbing a hoodie, but my adrenaline was pumping too much for a chill to catch me off guard.

When I opened my door, I saw Aden in the center hall. His shirt was off, and a toothbrush was in his mouth as he turned the pages in an aged book.

“Multitasking?” I said with a smirk.

He raised one finger as he put the book down and walked away, brushing his teeth rapidly.

I was sitting on the couch that centered the hall, letting my legs dance in place when he came back. I wanted to go to those hidden halls that we had used to get back here last night, find out where more waterways were in this palace, ones that had saltwater in them. I would have been long gone if my mind were not instantly replaying both Draven and Drake telling me to stay with Aden.

When Aden came out of his room, he had his shirt and shoes on and another book.

“Look, bodyguard, I’ve got things to do.”

“Excuse me?”

“Your brother,” I said, rolling my eyes.

“Draven was here?”

I glanced up at him, letting him see the non-private moments of my night.

“You’re not serious? What day is it?”

“I don’t know anymore.”

Aden tilted his head. “I don’t think your boy is going to see another sunrise.”

My eyes rose to meet his instantly. When I saw Britain’s image instead of Drake’s, I felt a relief. “Not my boy, and Drake is not a heathen. He’ll just get him to leave.”