My Immortal (16 page)

But surely the village wouldn't send a
human
out to tail the Hell-Horde. Humans are supposed to be
extinct anyways, but even if that is just another lie they told us,
humans are the only kind without any special abilities.

I watch him analyze each and every one of us,
probably trying to figure out what kind we are, and then a sweet
smile comes to his face.

I like him.

I don't know why but I like him. He reminds
me of my father.

My stomach clenches at the reminder of my
parents back home. I haven't seen them in two years. I hope they
are doing well.

“Did you five actually escape the city
walls?” he asks, hope infusing his tone of voice.

Gabriel answers him with a swift nod. “We
did, barely. And not without a few...misfortunes,” he glances at
Shadow with what, to my total shock, looks like compassion.

His eyes are wide with disbelief written on
his features again.

“What are you?” Gabe scrunches his eyebrows
at him as if he is looking at something he has never seen before
and trying to figure out if it is real or not.

“I am a human,” the man pauses, letting us
grasp the weight of that statement.

Wraith and Kaia and Jezebel all move around
the fire now, closer to him. We all stand in a circle around the
fire now, mostly on the opposite side than the human stands.

Gabe scoffs. “Humans are extinct, as well as
most of the kinds that you mentioned a second ago that presumably
live in your village.”

The man arcs an eyebrow at Gabe causing him
to stand a little straighter.

I bite back a smile that this human man can
instill a little bit of fear and respect in Gabe.

“Well, if humans are extinct then I don't
know why I am standing here. And what blows my mind even further,”
he pauses, looking directly at Shadow, “is the fact that I am
staring at the Demon Lord right now.”

We look to each other with looks of confusion
and doubts and Gabriel just gives the man a look like he is
insane.

I notice the look on Shadow's face is
anything but mocking. Instead, he wears an expression of
comprehension and shock.

“What is he talking about, Shadow?” I
whisper, grabbing his hand for strength and support.

Shadow examines the ground, eyebrows drawn
down. His teeth slide over the two suds in his lip and he sucks one
into him mouth, thinking. That distracts me for a moment but I
squeeze his hand to draw both him and myself back to reality.

“The prophecy,” he says, deadpan.

I glance to Kaia with wide, excited eyes and
she grins from ear to ear. We knew it!

Wraith rolls his eyes at us and Gabe shakes
his head.

“No, you're wrong. He isn't the Demon Lord,
he is a half-ling. The one the prophecy speaks of says that he will
be the one to defeat the Hell-Horde, not be hunted by them.”

We all glare at Gabe except for Wraith.

Jezebel ogles him and smiles, moving to stand
on the opposite side from Gabe. To my utter amazement I see her
smile and grab his hand. He stiffens for a moment and then relaxes
and I swear I see his lips twitch.

“Yes, the one the prophecy speaks of will
bring the all of the kinds together and lead the army of the free
kinds to defeat the Hell-Horde. I think the leader of all of the
different kinds would have to be, two different kinds don't
you?”

Gabe chews on this for a moment. Either that
or he is distracted by Jezebel who is now rubbing her thumb in
circles over his hand.

I become angry for some reason seeing this
and I don't understand why. Shadow squeezes my hand now and I
glance back at him with a question in my expression. He arches his
eyebrow at me and I smile innocently and shrug my shoulders.

No, I'm not jealous. I just don't like
her.

I know. I wasn't worried about jealousy. You
forget that my demon half can feel emotions and I felt your anger
blast through the room like an explosion.

I laugh inside.
My bad.

He chuckles low and deep.

Gabe finally snaps back to reality, like I
knew he eventually would. He loves winning an argument more than I
love flying.

“That doesn't necessarily mean anything. My
father leads all the different kinds back at the Grand Mecca.”

The man shakes his head, his lip tight. “I
have a lot to tell you about your father and the Grand Mecca. But
not now, not here. You must come with me. The Hell-Horde is right
on your heels. But I must tell you one more reason that we all know
who the Demon Lord will be when we see him, and I know that it is
this young hybrid.” he cants his head indicating Shadow. “The Demon
Lord, and prophecy leader, will be part demon and part angel, and
his mate will be an angel,” he looks at me when he says this, then
his gaze lingers on our joined hands. “They will bare the same
mark, the mark of Lucifer's father, which is a flame with a circle
around it.” My eyes bug out and everyone gasps. Shadow
stiffens.

The man nods his head with a pleasant smile
on his face. “For this reason even Lucifer will bow down to him. He
will have powers that none have seen to this day and he will be a
mighty force.”

The man walks around the fire and closes the
distance between himself and Shadow. Shadow lets go of my hand and
puts his arm around me, tucking me in close to his side and turning
us to face the green eyed, human man.

“I can't tell you how glad I am to see you,”
he smiles genuinely at Shadow and I know I was right about the
laugh lines around his eyes and mouth. “We have been waiting
eagerly for you to find us. We are honored to finally have you,” he
says and then takes my breath away when he bows before Shadow and
I.

“I pledge myself to you and my queen,” he
glances up to meet Shadow's eyes and then my own,” from this day
hence, I am yours to command my Demon Lord.”

It's so quiet and still, the only sound the
fire cracking and popping and the only movement the flames dancing
on the walls of the cave.

Shadow clears his throat and my mouth is
agape. “Your vow honors me,” Shadow nods his head at the man. The
man stands up facing us.

“What is yours name?” Shadow asks.

“My name is Xavier,” the human says crossing
his heart with a fist.

Shadow smiles at him, showing his fangs and
his wings flare out to his sides, behind me. “I am Shadow, and
that's what you can call me. Now Lord, or Master, or anything
else.”

The man laughs and it's catching. I smile and
before I can help it I laugh too. Shadow looks at me with an
expression of what I hope is love and endearment and everyone
else's laughs ring out behind us.

Wraith and Kaia walk up to join us and we ask
the human man many questions. Wraith asks about his namesake and
Xavier tells him about the woman from their village. She knew his
parents and was the very best friend to them.They grew up together
and their love for his was the only love that rivaled their love
for her and her kindness. She was a wraith and apparently she died
from the plague.

After a while a talking and listening I
realize that neither Gabe nor Jezebel have been participating in
the conversation and I glance around the cave looking for them.

What a mistake that is I realize just a bit
too late.

This is because they are sucking each other's
lips off on the other side of the fire. Gabe's back is to me as he
pins her against the wall.

This time no anger explodes from within me
but I do roll my eyes and fight the bile that threatens to rise up
my throat and enter my mouth.

Yes, please fight that or you won't be
getting any tongue action from me for a while.

I snicker because, man, he is just
so
funny.

He leans down a little and puts his lips to
my ear. I'm glad you think so baby,” he says in a gruff, sexy
voice.

Xavier clears his throat. “Ah Lor— Shadow,”
Xavier catches himself, “I really must stress the importance of us
leaving sooner rather than later.”

“I'm not trying to be rude, but I have been
wondering why the village would send a human to track the
Hell-Horde?” Wraith asks.

Xavier nods with understanding. “Humans are
practically undetectable by the Hell-Horde. They cannot trace our
aura with their infrared type seeking ability. Also, they can not
sense or smell us. As long as I am quiet, I am the best man for the
job,” he smiles again, fisting himself on the chest.

Wraith looks impressed and he nods his
head.

I hope Kaia gets him to speak more than he
does for us or I really don't think he would be any fun.

“Xavier is right, we should leave now. We
will go to his village with him and decide on a plan from
there.”

“We have a place for you to stay, clean
clothes, and food,” he offers.

Glancing at Shadow's shirtless back, I
realize how long it's been since I saw him with a shirt on. I am
going to miss seeing his scars and muscles on display, along with
those gleaming nipple rings.

“That means a lot to us, as you can tell we
desperately need those things,” I speak up.

Everyone mutters their thanks and picks up
whatever they had with them.

We walk together to the entrance and the
cold, windy, dark night greets us.

• Chapter Thirteen
  

“Aeron?!” I squeal in disbelief. My old, dear,
friend and transporter and a nymph that I greatly respect stops
mid-sentence and turns from the spirit he was in conversation with
to look at me.

As soon as recognition shows on his face I
sprint towards him and jump into his arms.

“Alexia! It's so good to see you, Myn Doul.”
In the nymph language, “myn doul” means, “my sweet”.

I shake my head, still just so excited and
crazy confused how he is here, outside the walls too. “I can't
believe it! How are you even here?”

He laughs sweetly and winks at me. Shadow and
the others are at my side now too, seeming a little confused as to
how I know someone out here.

“I am wondering the same thing about you, but
I can't say that I am not happy that you and your friends are free
of that awful place.”

I glance at Shadow and figure that I should
introduce them before Shadow gets the wrong idea. It can not be
missed that Aeron is blessed in the looks department and as always,
dressed to impress in that sleek style of his.

“Shadow, this is Aeron, he was my transporter
to the Grand Mecca and he is also a really good friend,” I
smile.

Shadow nods towards Aeron and reaches out to
shake his hand. When I glance at Aeron I notice the astonished look
on his face and the slow movement of his outstretched hand.

“Oh not you too,” I say. “Yes, this is
probably the guy from the prophecy,” I mutter. Everyone bursts out
laughing at my tone of voice.

Aeron smiles tightly as he clasps Shadow's
hand.

“These are my best friends: Gabriel (my smile
falters as I almost introduce Jezebel next, since she is sidled up
next to Gabe) ah Kaia and Wraith. And this is Jezebel, I met her in
the dungeon...it's a long story.”

“Yes, well an interesting one I'm sure I
won't mind hearing, maybe over dinner?”

I nod in agreement and glance Shadow's
way.

Xavier interrupts. “If you all wouldn't mind
following me I will show you each where you can stay and give you
new clothes. We will all gather for dinner when the sun goes
down.”

We say our goodbye's to Aeron, but I know I
will be seeing his at dinner so it's not a big deal. New clothes
sound great and so does abed to sleep in after sleeping on the hard
ground so much lately.

Xavier shows Shadow and I to our room last,
after finding two other little rooms for Wraith and Kaia and Gabe
and Jezebel, which I guess are getting along well to say the least.
Possible mates? Well I suppose we will just have to see.

The sun has finally set and I have immensely
enjoyed my at long last alone time with Shadow.

Our little room is beautiful. It just so
happens that it is painted a light blue color, reminding me of the
sky and has only one window in the roof, none in the walls.

It's not very large but neither of us mind,
we are just grateful that they have a place for us to rest our
weary souls.

I glance up at the night sky and marvel at
the stars through the sky window.

Shadow cuddles up behind me and tucks me
perfectly into his body just as he kisses me on top of the
head.

I close my eyes, reveling in this moment.

Until screams disrupt this perfect
moment.

Shadow and I rush to the door and look
towards the direction the screams are coming from.

He grabs my hand and we dart down the steps
and crash into Gabe and Jezebel. Wraith and Kaia are right behind
them and we all share panicked, knowing looks.

The Hell-Horde have found us.

“Baby, you and the girls go back to the room
and bar the door. Hide under the bed and be very quiet,” Shadow
instructs in a breathless voice.

Panic stricken and scared half to death I
just look up at him with bid, wide eyes and nod super fast.

Kaia releases Wraith's hand and grabs mine
and we take off towards the room a few steps, not really caring if
Jezebel is behind us or not, but figuring that she is.

Right when I reach the door to my room I
freeze and it jolts Kaia's hand out of mine as her body continues
into the room without me.

I turn back around, looking down the steps at
Shadow, Gabe and Wraith. They are talking and pointing, getting a
plan of action.

Jezebel shows up in front of me and turns to
look too.

“I can't let them fight for us alone,” I
mumble.

Shadow's attention whips directly to me,
probably hearing me say that.