Icarus; The Kindred (A Paranormal Romance) (17 page)

I don't think I have the strength, but Jace shifts until I am poised on top of him. His hands still warmly span my hips and after making sure I am well in his control, he lifts his body to meet mine. And
God
, does it meet mine. I grip the taut muscles of his arms as he moves me, and for once in my life I let go completely. I relish his strength, the feel of the night air as it cools our skin. I tilt my head back, close my eyes and after what feels like a breathless eternity, drown in our shared release.

We
lie naked in the darkness of the bedroom, neither of us really sleeping. My head is tucked under Jacelynd's chin, where I can feel the gentle thrum of his pulse just below the skin. I am not cold for the first time in far too long and never in my life have I felt so utterly comfortable with someone. No longer an intimate stranger, Jacelynd has my whole heart. I smile at the irony. Iris succeeded in doing nothing but bringing us closer together.

"I was waiting," Jace starts, "until a better time to tell you, but there likely isn't one. Damian could barely speak when I found him. He managed to tell me Iris was the one who had wounded him, but he also wanted me to tell you that he was sorry that he doubted you. He said something else. I have no idea what it means, but he said you would eventually, 'under the last step.'"

I don't know what that means. Damian and I must have had something of a love-hate relationship. "We didn't always get along, did we?"

"No. And it was incredible entertainment for the rest of us. Maybe not Iris, she was so shy, and though we didn't know it at the time, apparently jealous of you."

Oh yeah. I did lose a sister tonight. "How bad is this going to hurt when I remember her?"

The way he pulls his arm around to shelter my head leads me to believe that I should brace myself for when and if that time comes. "You and Olivia are close, but Liv is a turned vampire. Her time in this world can't compare to ours. You've spent lifetimes with Iris. You trusted her blindly. All of us did."

"Trinity said I was his betrothed. Was he telling the truth?" It feels like sacrilege to say his name right now, but I really want to know the answer.

"You were, though not of your own will. Our courtship wasn't exactly … public."

"How not public?"

"Forbidden kisses, stolen glances, me clandestinely sneaking into your family's garden." He sighs contentedly and kisses the top of my head.

"Stolen glances, how scandalous," I whisper. "I wish I could remember it."

"Well, there is one memory that was always dearer to your heart than all the others. Truth be told, it's my favorite too. Shall I tell you?" I nod and Jace props himself up on his elbows.

"The house of Thorn had a festival every year for the Winter Solstice. It was a lavish affair, feasting and dancing and the like. For days before and following, vendors from all over would set up tents to sell their wares, or read fortunes, or otherwise swindle spoon-fed nobles. In the center of the whole mess was a courtyard where the main events were held." He caresses my cheek with his thumb, "Events that you had staggeringly little interest in. After suffering the festivities with quiet disdain for two days, one night in particular found your intended otherwise occupied with political obligations and presented you with a rare opportunity for freedom. So, being the careful steward of your time that you were, you wandered through the torch-lit paths, watching revelers in their drunken merriment and tried to get me off of your mind—those are your words, by the way, not mine.

"You stopped at the tent of a jewelry maker, which was highly unlike you, and showed incredible interest in a ring, but what caught your attention more was the young girl who was too embarrassed to even approach the table, who couldn't afford proper clothes let alone something as frivolous as the bracelet she'd fallen in love with from afar. My eyes were so trained on you that I didn't even notice the girl until you spent everything you had with you to buy the bracelet for her.

"I waited until you turned the corner to quickly buy the ring you had your eye on. Then I followed you until you were immersed again in the crowds of the center court and then—hooded and covered still in the scant shade of night since this was the house of my family's sworn enemy—I brushed against you and pressed the ring into your hand, only to duck swiftly back into the anonymity of the celebration before you could catch me." He says this proudly and in a tone I've never heard him use.

And gradually, small pieces of a memory begin to click into place. I'd never seen the first part of that night. The dream always started just after the ring was in my hand. "But I did catch you," I say slowly, "after chasing you through a maze of makeshift alleys. You stepped out of the shadows so nonchalantly, like your life wasn't at stake had you been caught."

Jacelynd stills, as if he is afraid that moving will make this memory vanish, and says carefully, "You gave me the honor of kissing you for the first time in the refuge of that makeshift alley."

My hand lowers from his shoulder to his chest, where ink stains his skin in a terrible reminder of the cost he has paid for this moment. He presses his hand against mine.

"I called you foolish," I say.

Jace playfully rebuffs, "I've been called worse. And five centuries later, I'm still sticking to my story. I had absolutely no idea you had been promised to the House of Thorn, let alone
Lord
Tristan. You asked me just before the festival," he laughs, "how you were supposed to know that you hadn't merely caught my affections because of that."

"And you said?"

"After my stomach turned and all the color drained from my face, I assured you I hadn't been aware of who you were engaged to. Then, like an idiot, I made the assumption that it was one of his cousins. You quickly corrected me."

That sounds like me—snippy, adamant that I am worth my salt. Maybe I wasn't such a pushover after all. "Will I ever remember the rest of my past?"

"I wish I had the answer for you. I truly don't know."

"Has there ever been anyone to recover their memories after … ?"

"No," he says quietly. A long silence draws out before he adds, "It's better this way—for you."

I know he means his little deal with the devil, but I don't give a damn. "This isn't over yet. You can't seriously expect me to just accept things as they are."

"Jessi, it cannot be undone. Just like a Blood Tithe, there are natural laws. Consequences."

"How much time?" I am tired of asking this question.

Jacelynd runs the top of my hand across his lips, like a greeting gone intimate. He pauses and when he speaks, his mouth scantly brushes my skin. "You were brought to our court, along with several members of the house of Thorn. Considering that we weren't supposed to have ever met, I had to greet you quite carefully. My father already knew and my mother had her suspicions, but she would say later they were confirmed when she saw how I kissed your hand. Luckily for us, your betrothed missed it."

He has completely ignored my question, but now I'm intrigued. Damn it. "What were we there for?"

"A treaty, ironically. Though my father was sovereign and the House of Thorn was causing major dissension in our kingdom."

I would note the treaty must not have included a "no coup" clause, but I figure now probably isn't the best time for sarcasm. "You're talented Jace, particularly at evading questions, but I'm not letting you off the hook that easy. How much time?"

"Tristan has to be stopped before he makes his offering to the guardians and he uses your blood to force the gate fully open."

"But he hasn't taken my blood since—"

"You've been listening to Blake, who doesn't understand. Trinity doesn't need any more of your blood. The Tithe to you is enough."

Well, that at least explains why Trinity wasn't chomping at the bit to take from me. Asshole wanted me to believe that as long as he hadn't taken my blood again, I had the upper hand. "The Tithe doesn't affect you or Trinity the same way it does me. Why?"

"You're going to think this incredibly sexist and it probably is, but the Tithe is mainly a one-way street concerning the effects of absence. You were Tithed to me, as you are now Tithed to Tristan. It doesn't work the other way around. It's so much more than marriage, which is largely a social institution. A Tithe is eternal and is so designed that if one of the two is mortally wounded, given enough time or death, the Tithe will be broken. Our connection was never dissolved—not fully. Even when you took Tristan's blood in oath, there are still lingering ties to me because I am still alive. It isn't a circumstance that would normally occur, but your blood is unlike any other."

So I've heard. "Tell me how … I don't even know the right questions to ask. The gate? Care to explain any of that to me?"

He places his hand on the back of his neck. "This, on a much smaller scale, is a similar pact. We were at war with humankind and our people were dying. My father and I summoned the guardians and asked for their intervention. They offered it, but not without a price. That price was a perforation in the divide between the worlds. Tristan will control what little will be left of the human race and all Kindred with an unbeatable army … because my father and I made it possible. Trading my soul for the power to rival him is our only chance at undoing the past."

"Why would the guardians have given you anything that would be to their detriment?"

"According to them, they didn't. The soul of a royal blood immortal is worth more to them than all the human blood on Earth. They win either way."

"My family's blood opened the gate to begin with, mine can close it permanently. Doesn't that mean I can save y—"

Jace softly interrupts me, "No, love. It doesn't. My soul is tethered to that world and even closing the gate cannot keep me from that promise."

"Blake and Quinn, the others—they have no idea, do they?"

"No, and I don't intend to tell them, not until they need to know."

"I won't lose you, Jacelynd. This war isn't over." I curl against his side and yawn, finally feeling how long the day has become. "And I promise I'll still be in the house tomorrow when you wake up."

He laughs, "I'm glad to hear you say that, because I was seriously thinking about staying awake to make sure of it."

"No need." I lean up briefly to kiss him. "I love you."

"I love you, too," he whispers.

Jace is sleeping soundly when I open my eyes.
I consider waking him up to tell him I'm going downstairs, but he looks so peaceful right now. Not to mention hot, his hair all messed up. I consider some other things, but I need to go be social. I write a note and leave it on the pillow next to him, assuring him I've only fled as far as the kitchen.

After dressing and making myself semi-presentable, I walk toward the voices I'd been hearing for the last twenty minutes or so. Quinn and Blake are at the table. Quinn is immersed in typing on his laptop. Liv is in the kitchen with the older couple from last night while they make breakfast. I assume, judging by their age and the presence of food, that they are human.

"My Lady," the man says kindly, "it seems you are feeling better this morning?"

Before I can ask, Quinn speaks, "She's about to ask why you're calling her that." He turns to me. "They address us formally because it's how Mrs. Temper's mother, grandmother and great-grandmother before her addressed us. Their family has been close to ours for generations. Old habits die hard."

"So, you're Lords Blake and Quinn?" I can't help but to grin here, the notion seems absurd, considering that they are slouched in their chairs like two teenage boys.

"We didn't marry royalty. And we weren't lords to begin with." Blake says, "Though Quinn is technically a Sir."

Again, absurd. I nod graciously to Mr. Temper. "I am feeling much better, thank you. My apologies for not remembering more of our history. I assume the boys have explained?"

Mrs. Temper nods, "Just to have you back is enough for us."

I smile and notice Quinn smirking. "What are you doing over there, Sir Quinn?"

Liv groans. "He's editing the vampire page on Wikipedia. Again."

Quinn and Blake both laugh and I just roll my eyes. "Hmm. I hear that's a requirement for knighthood."

Quinn slaps his hand on the table excitedly, "This is hysterical. Besides, I am something of an expert on vampires."

"Perhaps I should refer to you from here out as Sir Smartypants."

"See," Liv says, "I told you she hasn't changed."

I notice Quinn's iPod on the table next to him and pick it up. Most of his music sucks, but I come across a few things I can handle and sit down, putting the earbuds in my ears. I am jamming to Flyleaf's "I'm so Sick," when a hand pulls the right earbud away.

"What are you listening to?" Jace asks sleepily, putting it to his own ear. He frowns, though there is a trace of that ever-so-charming smile at the edges of his mouth.

"Would you prefer Yanni?" I ask.

He chuckles before leaning down and kissing the top of my head. "Thank you for my note. And no, I hate Yanni."

I go back to listening to my music, allowing my senses the chance to wake up. I smell bacon and eggs and, most pleasantly, coffee. My eyes are closed and this might be the most peaceful morning I've had in years. No blood to clean off, no bodies to get rid of, no Well to dose at. No Belladonna to check into. A hand softly touches my shoulder and something clinks on the table. I look to see that Jacelynd has set a cup of coffee in front of me.

"Thank you," I say sweetly.

"Try it."

Um, what?
"Pardon?"

Jacelynd smiles and I wonder if there is some inside joke I'm missing.

"I've had coffee before and just like anything else intended for mortals, it makes me sick."

He kisses my cheek, lifts the mug and places it into my unsure hands. "Remember when I said Icarus messes with our ability to have children and a whole host of other things? This is one of those things. It doesn't have nutritional value, but it tastes good. You still can't eat solid food, but liquids are fine. Alcohol excluded, of course, because of its effects on the nervous system. And this is caffeine-free; for the record, you don't want leaded. Same idea as the wine."

He doesn't wait for me to actually drink the coffee, he just winks at me and excuses himself with the announcement that his shower is long overdue.

This moment is nearly religious for me. In fact, it's as close to religious as I've gotten in ten years. Because, oh my God! I bring it to my lips and wait for it … Yes! My God, this is orgasmic.

Now they're all laughing at me. Liv comes over and sits down on Quinn's lap next to me. "You haven't had coffee in ten years?
You?
Seriously?"

Trinity, if he pays for nothing else, is going to pay for this. "No. I used to go and order shit, er, stuff at Starbucks just to smell it." I've got to get better about not using foul language in mixed company.

I drink more and smile sublimely.

Blake gets up and lets Mr. and Mrs. Temper sit down to eat their breakfast. Mrs. Temper reaches over and pats my hand lovingly. "So good to see you here and well. I was so frightened last night to see you like that."

Hmm. Should have seen me a few hours before that. "Thank you for letting us stay here."

The couple exchanges a glance before Mr. Temper happily says, "My Lady, this home, which has been in our family for nearly a hundred and fifty years, was purchased by you as a gift. And as always, you are eternally welcome in it."

I smile at the thought of having close friends like this.

I wrap the ear buds back around Quinn's iPod and lay it down to listen as the Tempers tell me more of their family legacy and its involvement with our secretive world. They eat breakfast and exchange sweet gestures. Mr. Temper passes his wife the cream, letting his fingers linger briefly on hers. She hands him a napkin before he can ask and pours more orange juice for him before his glass is empty. I am lost in this, truly enjoying the moment and the beauty of it, the normalcy of it, when I hear glass shatter.

I can't immediately tell where the sound comes from. My guard is down and my system is caught up in processing a mortal substance, which means my powers are nearly useless. I gather this only because I try and to increase my hearing and it doesn't work.

The figures approach so fast, had I not seen them before I would think they were figments of my imagination. This is not just one Death Dealer. In a few fleeting seconds, I count ten.

Hand-to-hand is as good as I can do right now, and in a flurry of movement, I put down two of them. I point to our human companions and command, "Liv, get them out of here!"

A blade comes sharply against my shoulder, but considering how short a time has passed since I've had Trinity's blood, it barely cuts the skin before it heals. This gives me enough time to turn and break his hand before knocking his knees from under him.

"I was enjoying that cup of coffee. And son of a bitch, this is a brand-new shirt!" I grab the sword and swing it cleanly across his neck. Several screams from the next room barely register before I engage two more and watch as a third figure draws near. I am better with my hands, so I toss the blade to Blake, who swiftly takes it to good use.

Several hits come at me at once, and I realize then they haven't been sent here to take me or anyone else with them. They are seriously aiming to kill and by the looks of how hard they are trying to get to my location specifically, I think it's safe to assume I am the main target.

This just makes me mad. I fend off two blows, only to receive four successive punches to the gut. This weakens me momentarily and unfortunately gives them enough of an advantage to throw me into the kitchen table.

I look up from the gaping wreckage, the table in pieces around me, and groan. I forget how good these guys are. Where the hell is Jacelynd with his freakish powers when I need him? Never mind that, I'll have these guys dead and buried by the time he finishes his shower, so …
bring it on.

I casually cross my legs, like I crashed through the oak table on purpose and motion for them to come closer.

These guys aren't stupid. They don't rib each other like the kids I freaked out at the motel. They know I mean business and instead of leaning down, they pull out all the stops. Unfortunately for them, this is what I expected.

The one on the right has kicked up a splintered piece of wood and intends to use it like a stake, while the one on the left and the fellow behind him circle around me. Meanwhile, I gather into my hands two of the kitchen knives that were on the table—behind my back, of course—and it doesn't take long for me to throw them into crucial parts of their brains. Two of them, anyway. The third sees this happen and is completely unfazed.

Blake, having impressively finished off his share of the action, takes off the guy's head with startling efficiency. Suddenly, all that is left in the air is unsettling silence, followed by crying from beyond the French doors of the kitchen. Blake helps me up from the floor. I finish off the two I disabled and follow him into the other room.

"No, no, no please! Stay with me, James!" Mrs. Temper is cradling Mr. Temper in her arms. He is bleeding badly and judging by how dark the blood is, his injuries are a death sentence.

"Can he be turned?" I ask Quinn.

Tears come to his eyes as he says, "He's too old now. Humans can't withstand the change after about age thirty-five, depending on their health." Quinn kneels down to him and speaks softly to both Mr. and Mrs. Temper.

"Did Trinity do this?" Liv asks quietly.

"Who else?" I am furious. Check that, somewhere ten miles south of furious. To hell with the mental connection, he obviously knows where I am. I'm calling him. I grab the cell phone off the end table and dial his number.

"Trinity," he sounds haggard.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" I scream, shocked at my loss of restraint.

He is silent for a second before he breathes a very forced, "What?"

"No more games! No more lies! What the hell is going on?"

"Jess, I don't understand what you're—"

"Death Dealers, Trinity. You know—those fuckers I spent the last decade of my life fighting, who were supposedly employed by the Rebellion?!"

"What happened?" For a second, his voice sounds serious, grave even.

The couple seconds of doubting that he is responsible don't last. "Oh, I'm sorry, world-dominating bastard number one and world-dominating bastard number two are really close together on speed dial. I must have called the wrong fucking one!"

"Jess, don't ha—"

I snap the phone closed and throw it hard across the room, feeling only mildly assuaged to hear it smash against the wall.

That doesn't work when I can still communicate with you like this.

I hear Jacelynd coming down the stairs. His voice has an edge of panic as he asks what happened and Blake starts to fill him in. I walk outside to cool off. And look for more of our visitors.

Jessica, tell me what happened.

I have absolutely nothing to say to him. I lean against the side of the house and notice glass sticking out of my side. I pull a couple shards out and brush the rest off of my clothes. In all truth, it doesn't seem to make sense. Why would he have let me live, just to have me killed by Death Dealers? Still, I can't think of any other plausible explanation. Then again, I don't just have a couple enemies, I have multitudes. Legions, perhaps. Okay, that's a bit egocentric. Still, it's more than your average Covenant.

I kept my promise to you. I didn't track you last night and you know I could have.
In some sick way, Trinity sounds genuine.

No, you waited until today, you jerk. Same shit, different day. Now, shut up and let me deal with this.

"Are you all right?" Jacelynd comes outside and looks me over like I haven't just nodded in response to his question. He's clearly shaken.

"They need you more inside."

Jace nods once and ducks wordlessly back into the house.

Jessica, I need to know what's going on.
Trinity doesn't take subtle hints.

You're planning on taking over the world. That's what's going on, or have you changed your mind?

I can't stop what's already been set into motion. That has little bearing on what pertains to you right now and most certainly has nothing to do with whoever wants you dead. It definitely isn't me. Surely, you know this.

I don't know what I know anymore. I have a dying human and grieving wife to deal with now, so if you would be so kind as to leave me alone—maybe hold off anyone else you've arranged to take my life for at least a few more hours, I would really appreciate the gesture.

Jess, I'm not leaving this alone. I didn't send anyone after you.

When I walk back inside, Jacelynd has knelt down beside Mr. Temper. Liv consoles Mrs. Temper, but it will do little good. "Jacelynd, is there nothing you can do?" I ask cautiously.

He gives me a reserved look and I can understand why. Doing something means revealing to everyone here his little deal with the devil. He sighs deeply before answering, "I don't know if I can, but … " He hovers over the old man.

"Jace, he's past the age of acceptance. He won't … " Quinn stops when I grab his shoulder.

Jacelynd closes his eyes and bites into his wrist. Instead of bringing it to Mr. Temper's mouth, he presses it against the open wound on his abdomen. Everyone holds their breath as Jacelynd whispers unfamiliar words.

A gradual pressure builds in the room, similar to that what I felt on the field near Callmadus—thick and unnerving energy.

It had come from Jacelynd.

Suddenly, a resonating intonation sounds, expanding from the two of them and opening outward until the whole room is filled with sound. Then, just as quickly as it started, absolute silence blankets the room.

Mr. Temper coughs, his eyes darting from one concerned face to another. "What's everyone got such a sour face for?" he asks innocently, then sees the blood on his clothes. "Oh, dear."

Liv catches Mrs. Temper as she faints. Quinn and Blake both turn to Jacelynd, equal shock on their faces. Quinn is the first to speak.

"Jacelynd. What just happened?"

Blake steps up beside me. "I knew something was wrong back in the woods outside of Callmadus. Jess never falls like that. You did something when she came at you."