Immortal Rapture: Immortal Heart (21 page)

Heading out of the room with a happy and changed baby, Uriah went in search of Marie. She had been
lying next to him when he and Makiah decided it was time for a nap. Of all the work he had done in his life, taking care of Makiah was turning out to be the most exhausting and fulfilling of all. The castle was surprisingly quiet. He made his way down the stairs and into the kitchen. He saw Darnel going over some papers with some of the kitchen staff. Darnel lifted his head and smiled.

“Does this mean it’s my turn to see the child?”

Uriah smiled at the older man. He’d been more like family than anything else. Part of his nature was to take care and cater to others, but they all tried their best to treat him as so much more. Uriah handed Makiah over and scanned the room. The staff was bustling about, pots and pans were banging around, and the chefs were already sweating over the hot stoves.

“Is there something special happening tonight?”

Darnel shook his head. “Not that I am aware of, Cree just seems to be falling back into tradition and wants dinners served in the dining hall with everyone in attendance.”

“Speaking of which, you have any idea where everyone is?”

Darnel didn’t lift his gaze from Makiah as he answered. “Last I heard the warriors had gone off to work, Ms. Katarina was heading to the Human World, Ms. Isabelle was tutoring Kyra, and Cree was back in his office.”

Uriah nodded. “
All right… any idea where Marie might be?”

Darnel smiled as he handed Makiah back to him. “Ah, well she did a number on Ms
. Holly and convinced her to drop her off at the lake before she headed out to do her sweep of the lands.”

Uriah chewed his lip. He didn’t really want her out by herself.

“You’re worried?”

Uriah shrugged, attempting to shake the nerves that pricked with concern. “She doesn’t know our world well.”

“True, but from what I gather, the borders have been clear for a few weeks now.”

Uriah nodded. “I’m sure it’s fine… I guess I just feel cautious.”

Darnel smiled with understanding.

“
All right, I’m going to go see if I can find Izzy.”

“She will watch the little one for you so you can go in search of your lady.”

Uriah chuckled. He really was transparent.

“You got what I asked for?” Esperanza asked as she lifted her gaze to the entrance of the throne room.

The four vampires entered, their new leader standing in front of the other three.

Not a single one of them spoke up or met her gaze.

“Answer your lady when she asks a question of you.”

“We were unable to make it to the castle. The warriors are patrolling the skies, and they have guards posted all over the borders.

“I’m not hearing an answer to my question, and I am not interested in excuses.”

“We got the human, Izzy
, and… your daughter, Holly.”

The news actually brought a smile to Esperanza’s face. “Well, this could work as well.”

“The human carries Makyle’s blood. Rumors are spreading all over the lands that she is a reaper. Your son is a healer; she can help Lord Darion.”

“Indeed.”

****

Lothar, Kale
, and Bain all landed in the courtyard at the same time.

Bain smiled at his brothers. “Well, my corner is happy and snow free.”

“Same here,” Kale called as he headed towards the castle entrance. “And now I need a shower.”

“Did you sweat out all the
Patrón?” sarcasm laced Lothar’s tone.

“Why do you think I need the shower?” Kale said before lifting back into the sky, leaping over the castle.

“Such a fucking show off,” Bain muttered.

“True,” Lothar agreed as he lifted his gaze back to the sky.

“Looking for Holly?” Bain smirked.

Lothar huffed. “Aren’t I always? I can’t help but worry that she will disappear on me again.”

“She’s not going anywhere.”

Lothar looked back to Bain, catching his gaze briefly before he sighed. “I don’t resent her for her choices. I do wish she had come to us rather than running all those years ago… I feel her every moment she’s
around; I can’t push out her emotions. I know she’s happy and she isn’t planning to go anywhere. Yet, I can’t help that the loneliness I felt all those years sneaks into my consciousness and I worry about where she is and if she is okay, but I guarantee I couldn’t live without her.”

Bain smiled, listening and knowing precisely how Lothar was feeling. He imagined that there was some correlation to who they are and what they do for the Light Fae that explained the way they loved. They were warriors, protectors and truly male, each of them, he was sure that those bits of their personalities were
what allowed them to want nothing more than to care for and protect the women they loved so fiercely. He knew that when it came down to it, he was nearly incapable of telling Izzy no and he prayed that she would never truly understand what a hold she had over him.

“Thinking about Izzy?” Lothar chuckled.

Bain arched a brow. “Don’t start reading me, brother.”

“You project, Bain.”

“He always has,” Cree added as he joined the two warriors in the sun-filled courtyard. “I take it all is running smoothly out in our lands.”

Bain and Lothar both nodded.

“Darnel is working on dinner. Jake, the succubi and Juliette will be joining us.”

Bain arched a brow. “The succubi
are coming?”

Cree smirked. “A couple of them. So, go get cleaned up.”

Lothar sighed, his gaze shifting to the sky again.

“Ah, she took Marie to the lake… I have a feeling they won’t be back for a while.”

Bain furrowed his brow. “Why did Holly take her to the lake?”

Cree grinned. “My guess would be because she’s a water nymph and she wants to test her magic.”

“Guess or a vision?” Bain questioned.

“The visions are still hit and miss. I did see a glimpse of Marie in the water…” Cree trailed off. “Well
, let’s just keep that between us.”

Bain shook his head. “Was she skinny dipping?”

Cree smiled. “Not exactly, let’s just say she has good taste in lingerie.”

“Who does?” Izzy asked as she and Kyra exited the castle.

Bain grinned and bent over as Kyra ran at him. He lifted her up and squeezed her lightly.

Izzy arched a brow,
and then sighed at the guilty look on the warriors’ faces. “We’re talking about my sister, aren’t we?”

Cree nodded and kissed the top of Izzy’s head as he passed by her to head back into the castle. “Just remember, we don’t choose the
visions we receive. Dinner’s in two hours,” he reminded before disappearing through the large, double-door entrance.

“What’s lingerie?” Kyra asked.

Bain’s eyes widened, and Izzy laughed.

“It’s something you will never need to know about. Got it, little girl?”
Panic suffused Bain’s tone, causing Izzy to laugh even harder.

“Izzy, are you laughing at me or at Daddy…
He looks kind of funny right now.”

Izzy grinned. “He does look funny, doesn’t he?”

Kyra smiled brightly. “So we are laughing at Daddy,” she said on a small giggle.

“Come on,” Bain said, clasping Izzy’s hand. “Cree wants us all cleaned up for dinner.”

“What’s Uncle Lothar doing?” Kyra whispered in Bain’s ear.

“He’s waiting for your aunties.”

“Which ones?”

“Holly and Marie.”

Kyra pushed against him to cup her father’s face and smiled at him. “Can I wait with him?”

Bain smiled and turned to Lothar, who stood staring at the sky.

“I think he would appreciate the company.”

Bain set Kyra down
, watching her run to Lothar and leap at him. He opened his arms and looked down just in time to catch her.

“I’m gonna wait with you for
Aunty Holly and Aunty Marie, so you’re not alone staring at the sky.”

Lothar smiled at the pretty little girl with her bright eyes and innocent smile. “There is no one else I would rather have keep me company.”

Kyra wrapped her arms around his neck and squeezed before laying her cheek on his shoulder to look past his solid jaw to the orange and pink-tinted blue sky.

Marie woke, her vision fuzzy and her head throbbing. “Holly?” she called out groggily.

She felt a hand brush over her hair and a soft shushing noise, “Shh, I’m here.”

Marie attempted to sit up, but found lifting her head made her feel like vomiting.

“Don’t move too much, the darts were laced with basilisk venom. It won’t kill you, but you’re gonna feel like hell.”

“What darts?” Marie asked, her memory tainted as she tried to remember what had happened.

“The ones that Darion’s guards shot us with.”

“Darion?”

Holly sighed. “Sorry, I forget Uriah hasn’t had a chance to explain it all to you… Darion is the Lord of The Dark Fae. My mother is his true mate and for some reason, their guards attacked us at the lake, shooting us with venom-dipped darts, and now we are guests of the Dark Fae.”

Marie looked around to see their dark and dirty surroundings. A cell made of stone with stained
, metal bars, and lord only knew what was skittering around in the depths of the dark corners. She attempted to sit up once more, keeping her head low as she took an upright position.

“Easy
,” Holly said as she helped guide her.

“You seem to be handling the venom better
than I am.”

“I think it’s a combination of what I am and what I can do.”

Marie looked to her side to see Holly’s stressed face. “You okay?”

Holly shrugged. “Physically, I’m fine. I’m… shit, Marie, I’m sorry. I never should have taken you out of the castle.”

Marie scoffed. “Holly, you wouldn’t have been at the lake if I hadn’t guilted you into taking me there.”

Holly shook her head and looked out through the bars.

“What did you mean by it being a combination of what you are and what you can do?”

Holly smiled at her. “I suppose we have time for a story while we
wait to find out what the hell they want with us.”

“Well yeah,
’cause I’m not going to be much help with an escape plan… not just yet anyway.”

Holly laughed softly and launched into the story of how she became a vampire and eventually ended up on the Island of the Fates with Lothar at her side. How she was given her father’s powers and gained her own set of wings in the process.

“Wait, so you can heal? Why aren’t you doing something about this headache of mine?”

Holly bit her bottom lip. “I’m sorry, I haven’t mastered healing others. I’m not even sure how I healed myself. But I did conjure you some clothes.”

Marie looked down at the grey t-shirt and fitted jeans she now wore. “Thank you.” She looked around the cell again. “Clothing is necessary in this shit hole. Besides, I was just playing with you… don’t you dare feel bad about anything that is happening.”

“I really am sorry.” Holly sighed. “I don’t know what the hell they want with us.”

“It wasn’t you I was after.” Esperanza’s voice flowed from the shadows that fell outside the cell bars.

Holly felt her spine stiffen and her anger well as her mother’s face came into view. With her lavender eyes and cruel featured face
, a smugness settled in the sneer on her lips.

“You haven’t mastered healing yet? I assumed Bain would be all over teaching his wretched little sister all of his tricks.”

“We’ve been busy mourning Rowan,” she growled in ire.

Esperanza narrowed her eyes. “We were all left with something to mourn after the battle.”

“Did you mourn your daughter? Did you feel anything as you watched your mate’s sword pierce her heart?”

“Lives are always sacrificed in war. I’ll remind you that the Light started that war when they freed the succubi. The Dark have suffered as well.”

“You will never suffer enough to make up for what we lost.”

“Still just a stupid child.” Esperanza shook her head at the disappointment before her.

“What do you want?”

Esperanza sighed. “
Well, it certainly wasn’t you two. And the vampires who made the mistake will pay for their failure” Her gaze shifted to Marie. “I can see why the mistake was made; you really do resemble your sister.”

Marie’s eyes narrowed. “What do you want with Izzy?”

Esperanza laughed. “I want nothing with your half-Fae, worthless sister. I did everything I could to keep her from my son.”