Daughter Trilogy Bundle (118 page)

“
How many?” Ther asks.

“
I don’t know.  I can’t see it.  I had Deidra block my sight from her and Lana in order to show caution, and I never told them any different.  I never even tried to see them,” Devin murmurs guiltily.  “I just know what Mom heard.”

“
How did an army of lower ones take out our Emperian?  That’s absurd,” Nina adds.

“
Lana?  What about Lana?” Phillip prompts urgently.

“
She’s fine.  She was pretty banged up, but she’s on her way here right now,” Devin murmurs.  “She’s dropped her block.  That’s who called Mom.”

“
How did they find them?” Gemma asks.

“
Dextro beetles,” Theia murmurs with a little more composure.  “Lana found them in her phone during the fight.  It smashed to the ground when she was fighting, and the beetle revealed itself.”

“
It’s probably a trap.  I’m sure they’re following her to find us.  It’s the only reason they would have left her alive,” Deacon frets.

“
They were following me,” Lana says as she walks in, and we all turn to face her soaking wet body.

“
Lana!” Phillip exclaims, and he rushes over to hug his niece.

Theia quickly joins him, and she soaks them both when she returns their embraces with tears staining her eyes.

“Are you sure you shook them?” Kry asks.

“
Positive.  We were attacked early this morning in Vegas.  I took the jet, and I made them think I was heading far north.  I jumped out over the Artic Ocean, and I stayed under the water for several hundred miles.
“I moved fast, but I kept the surface still so they couldn’t see it.  I disabled the alarm for the jumper door Deidra had installed years ago, and they were told to keep the jet low.  They’ve landed twice to refuel by now, but they won’t know I’m gone until the flight ends.  I requested to be left alone in the sleeper cabin, and they’ve been instructed to land in Ireland.”

“
Sounds thorough,” Kry murmurs with an impressed air.

“
I had to be.  If my phone hadn’t broken, I wouldn’t have ever known that beetle was there, and I would have led them straight to you,” she whimpers.

“
We need to get in touch with everyone from safe phones.  I can bounce the signals off random towers, and we can warn everyone about what’s going on,” Ther asserts, and he slides over the top of the bar to rush into putting his plan into effect.

“
Never a minute to breathe,” I whisper to myself, but Devin hears me.

“
I know, baby.  I know,” he exasperates to only me, and his lips kiss my head as he pulls me into his arms.

“
Do you think Pyrrha has found a way to unite so many entities?” Phillip asks Theia.

“
She’s the only one opposing us that would be strong enough to do such a thing right now.  It has to be aging her though,” she answers.

“
What’s her end game?  Why do all this?  Is she that desperate?” Gemma asks.

“
It doesn’t make any sense.  Why not come after us when we were completely oblivious to her existence?  She could have easily taken on Adisia and me in the market.  Why try to break us up instead?” Devin asks with bemusement.

“
What if there’s something the two of you are capable of doing together?” Persia ponders aloud.

“
Then why not take the opportunity to eliminate us?  Why break us up?” Devin reiterates.

“
I don’t know.  None of this makes sense to me either,” Persia grumbles.

“
She lay dormant for months after Greece.  Why is she suddenly surging forward almost frantically in search for us?” Devin asks.

“
We’re safe here.  She has no clue you’ve moved out here, and she’s looking for me in Ireland,” Lana comforts.  “I need a shower, and one hell of a drink.  I think I’ll start with the latter of the two,” she murmurs while pouring a full glass of scotch.

“
What now?” I whisper to Devin.

“
Now we plan, study, research, and do everything we can to prepare for whatever Pyrrha’s planning.”

“
Where do we start?” I huff.

“
You don’t start.  Go get some rest, you’ll need it,” he says protectively.

“
I can help, Devin,” I counter.

“
He’s right, dear.  It’s best if you let us contact everyone we know and learn what we can as fast as we can.  You’ll eventually play a role in these things, but for now we need you to rest.  It takes a lot out of a beginner to constantly be on guard.  You’re still so new to your powers, and I think it’s started taking a toll on your body given what Kry has told me about your dizzy spells,” Persia says in her motherly tone.

“
I thought you said all that could be attributed to my angered Aphrodite,” I argue.

“
That was before Aphrodite had no reason to be angry.  You’ve apparently been rather hungry, dizzy, and even exhausted.  Immortals don’t suffer from such unless they’ve been pushed too hard.  We’ve relied on you far too much in your early phases, and now you’re experiencing the effects.  You need to rest because I’m sure we’ll need you again very soon,” she murmurs guiltily.

“
I don’t know what good I’ll be now.  We blocked Kaos and Asteria.  Please tell me you know a secret way to bring them back,” I plead hopefully.

“
Unfortunately, no.  I suppose we were rash in doing such, but at the time it seemed feasible.  You were becoming drunk on their power, and I was worried it would eventually consume your mind and drive you mad.  You’re still the strongest one of us, and we’re going to need you fit,” she continues.

I don
’t want to tell her how I’ve been freezing up in fights lately.  I’ve barely put forth any effort, and it’s as though I’ve lost my
oomph
in combat.  Now everyone is going to be depending on me once again, and I’m not sure I’ll be ready this time.

Devin kisses me lightly on the lips, and I very reluctantly leave them to do their work.  I know they feel I
’ll just be in the way, and I’m sure that’s the true reason for my dismissal.

Nina takes a seat beside Devin, and I flinch reflexively as my stomach churns with jealously.  Devin quickly removes himself from her close proximity, and he sits back down between Kry and Ther.

His eyes catch my spying ones, and I just walk away before I see his guilt reemerging.  I feel bad when I’m constantly putting him on the defensive.

I stare out at the waves rolling in the foam from the sea
’s mouth, and I wonder if there’s ever really going to be a day of normalcy.  It’s always something, and I feel weaker these days instead of stronger.

Perhaps I
’ve already peaked, and now I’m just rolling down hill. 

I huff and feel the dizziness returning as if on command.  Maybe Persia
’s right.  Perhaps I am overworked.

I barely slept for four months, and I lived on canned fish and ice cream.  Maybe I
’m not as immortal as I thought.  I suppose even immortals have some use for sleep and healthy eating.

I can
’t do this though.  I can’t sit up here while everyone else is downstairs strategizing.  I flash back downstairs, and I roll my eyes when I see Devin and Nina are now missing from the room.

I creep past the very focused group, and I tiptoe over to the kitchen.  I slow down when I hear the whispered conversation making its way to my ears.

“I already told you, Nina.  None of it was me.  I love my wife, and I swear I’ll throw you out before I let you mess with us.  What’s wrong with you?  You’re the only girl I ever dated that didn’t obsess.  Why now?” he gripes.

“
I never thought you’d marry, Devin.  I always thought if I waited patiently, you’d come back.  What’s so special about her?” she says very softly.

“
She’s made for me, and I for her.  No two people have ever been more perfect for each other.  I love her, and that’s not a word I’ve ever used in such a sense before her,” he sighs.

“
I know.  I waited so long to hear it.  I wish that bitch witch had just left me out of her scheme.  I was perfectly fine until it felt like you couldn’t resist me.  You just kept dismissing her, and it felt like you and I were getting back to the old us.  It didn’t seem staged or forced.  It felt like you and me - the way we always were.”

“
It wasn’t.  It was a fucking witch, and you need to get it out of your head now that it was ever anything else,” he scolds.

“
You told me you loved me that day, Devin.  Do you remember?  You may not have ever said it before her, but you said it after her.  You told me you loved me, and you kissed me,” she cries.  “It’s hard to just let that go when it’s all I’ve ever wanted to hear.  Then you just left Greece without a word.”

What!  I never saw that in his memories!

My mind races through his memories, but they all start at the market and end just before the kissing scene.  Did Theia do that on purpose to spare her son?

What the hell?

“I didn’t mean it,” he exasperates so guiltily.

“
I did,” she murmurs through her tears.

“
I’m sorry, Nina.  Really, I am, but I love my wife.  I just got her back.  Please stop this.  We know it was Pyrrha, not me.  You’re just torturing yourself.”

“
Do you really believe it was all Pyrrha?  Was there any of it that was you?” she whimpers desperately.

Before he can answer, my surging anger causes some outer surging as well.  The lights burst all throughout the kitchen, and I hear gasps coming from the two of them.

I flash away quickly, and I almost scream when I reach the bedroom.  The bulbs in the padded room burst as well, and Devin walks in just as the last one pops.

“
Adisia,” he murmurs warily, and I can see the fear in his eyes.

“
Why didn’t you tell me?” I coolly ask.

“
I thought you knew until after the wedding.  It was obvious you didn’t then, or you would have used it against me in your accosting.  What was I supposed to do?” he murmurs with trepidation.

“
You were supposed to tell me.  That should have been something that came up right away,” I scold.

“
Adisia, I was falling apart for months.  I literally destroyed two of my houses just to find some release for my anger.  I couldn’t bear the thought of saying or doing anything wrong,” he explains.

“
Devin, I rushed into your arms the moment I knew it wasn’t you.  I told you I was sorry because
I
was the one in the wrong, not you.  You could have told me anything, and you should have told me this.  I understand all of that… sort of.  It wasn’t you, right?”

“
You know it wasn’t,” he utters defensively.

“
This was you.  You and you alone intentionally neglected to tell me this huge piece of information.  You chose to talk to her behind my back tonight.  I’m gone for ten minutes, and the two of you are hulled up in the kitchen all alone.  That makes me look and feel like a fool.”

“
Please don’t do this,” he almost cries.  “Don’t leave me, not now.  You swore you’d never leave me again.  I’ll kick her out right now.  I just wanted to tell her to drop it, and I wanted to explain.  I knew she was hurting, and I felt guilty.  Please don’t leave me for trying to tell her how much I love you,” he whimpers, and I almost feel like the world’s biggest bitch.

“
I’m not leaving you, Devin,” I mutter, and he rushes over to me to pull me into his arms. 

I push him away just before his lips connect with mine, and pain sears his eyes immediately.

“You said you weren’t leaving,” he murmurs with even more fear.

“
I’m not, but I’m still pissed.  Devin, you had a choice about whether or not to tell me that, and you made the choice not to.  You could have spoken to her with people around, but you chose a private setting.  You could have told me you were planning to speak to her, but you snuck around behind my back instead.  This time, I have a right to be pissed, and I’m exercising it.”

“
Please, baby.  I just got you back.  Please don’t do this,” he pleads.

“
I’m not doing anything besides being pissed.  I have that right.  I’m still your wife, I’m not filing for divorce, and I’m not running away,” I bark, and then I turn around and storm into the bathroom.

“
I didn’t intend to speak to her at all.  She cornered me in the kitchen.”

“
You could have walked a way,” I growl.

“
I wanted to tell you about the rest, but I just didn’t want to do anything to make you mad.”

“
You’re still batting zero.  Go away.  I’m taking a shower and going to bed,” I grumble dismissively through the closed, unpadded bathroom door.