The Crossing (Immortals) (36 page)

"But... how?" she whispered.

"Leanna," he answered. "She showed me what was possible. Showed me that what I'd thought was the right
thing-casting death magic-had actually been making me weaker. Despite the darkness in my soul, I'm a creature
of life magic. And if I establish the right protections, I can
cast life magic even here."

"I don't understand."

"You don't have to understand, Artemis. That's just the
point. Death magic is logical enough, but life magic defies
understanding. What's needed is faith."

She bit her lip. "I've never been good at faith, Mac."

He cupped her face in his hand, his thumb brushing her
lip. "I don't believe that for a moment, Artemis. This entire journey has been an act of faith. You couldn't have
gotten this far without it."

"But I've made so many mistakes. I've broken your
trust, over and over. You shouldn't have come after me. I
wouldn't blame you if you left me here to die."

His hand smoothed down her neck and arm, his palm
flattening on her belly. Something inside her leaped to
meet him. When he spoke, his voice was hoarse. "Come,
now, love. None of that depressing talk. I need you to be
strong."

He spoke a word. Life magic flowed from his hand into
her body, flooding her senses, her heart, her soul. She
nearly cried at its beauty. She hadn't until that moment realized how familiar with death and darkness her soul had
become.

The pain in her arm and her side vanished. She lifted
her arm. The bone had mended. Looking down, she realized the grime and sweat had vanished from her skin and
her clothes. The scent of a bright forest glen teased her
nostrils.

And she was trembling.

Mac was looking at her with an infinitely tender expression. "How's your arm feel now, love?"

She lifted it. "Fine. No-better than fine. It's perfect."

"And the wound in your side?"

She smoothed a hand down her flank. "Gone."

"Good. But not quite good enough. Your life essence is
still low. I need to be sure you won't fade on me again.
Will you open up your soul, Artemis? And your body? Let
me flood you with as much life essence as you can hold?"

Her eyes widened. "Open up-? Just what are you saying,-Mac?".

He sent her a wolfish grin. "I think you can guess, love.
I'm half Sidhe, after all."

Artemis stared. "Mac. You... you can't mean what I'm
thinking you mean."

"Try me, love."

"You want to have sex? Here? Now? You're crazy!"

Mac's tone sobered. "Artemis. You were hurt. Badly."

"Was. You've already healed me."

"Your body, perhaps. But your soul? I don't want to take
any chances. I need you strong. The balance your magic
had in the human world-that's gone. You're becoming far
too familiar with death magic. It's not good, love. It could
destroy you."

Artemis nodded. Mac was right. A low, sick hum underlay her every thought and action. It had become so familiar it almost wasn't disturbing her anymore.

"Mac." Her voice shook. "I-"

He gripped her hand. "Do you love me, Artemis?"

She swallowed. "You don't want me to love you, Mac.
I'm a mess. I hurt everyone I love. Sometimes I think my
life is cursed."

"Don't ever say that." His voice was uncharacteristically
sharp. "You're not cursed. You're everything that's loyal
and good and true."

"Are you cra-?"

Her protest died when his lips came down on hers. "I
love you, too, Artemis."

"Oh, Mac..."

His mouth was warm and firm. Gentle, yet demanding.
She knew she should push him away, but she had no
strength left for that. She needed him, needed this. She
gave a small moan and melted.

He took her mouth, his tongue stroking deeply. She
splayed her fingers on his bare back, relishing the flex of
his muscles. His hands roamed under her shirt, cupping
her breast. His head finally came up, and he looked down
at her. The tenderness in his gaze nearly undid her.

"Mac. I've made so many mistakes."

"So you think only perfection is worthy of love?"

"No, of course n-" She cut off abruptly, biting her lip.
Yes, that was exactly what she thought. Only perfection deserved love. At least when it came to someone loving her.

"If perfection bred love," Mac said, "Annwyn would be
flooded with the emotion. It's not. Why do you think I
make my home in the human world? Because I want what
humans have. Love, in all its messy imperfection. I looked
for it for centuries, but I didn't find it, until I found you.
Do you know what I love about you, Artemis?"

She shook her head, her eyes burning with unshed tears.

"Your bravery. Your loyalty. Your tenacity. Your independence. Your infuriating tendency to hide things from
me. I've never been so bloody angry with anyone as I've
been with you, Artemis."

A reluctant laugh left her lips. "I'm not sure that's a compliment."

"It's not. I want to strangle you with alarming frequency.
And I just might if you ever try to sell me out to a demon
again."

She pressed her forehead to his chest. "Oh gods, Mac,
I'm so sorry. I-"

He dropped a kiss on the top of her head. "There's only
one apology I want, Artemis." He kneaded her breast.
"Make love with me."

"Yes."

With eager hands, she tugged at his belt and unbuttoned
his jeans, slipping her hands inside the waistband. He eased
her shirt and bra over her head; with a few more deft
moves, he had her naked. Shucking off his jeans, he lowered
her to the ground, to lay atop their discarded clothing. He
stretched out over her, supporting his weight on his elbows,
his arousal hot and hard against her belly.

She threaded her fingers through his golden hair. Fear
almost kept the words unspoken. But how could she be
such a coward? He'd given her so much.

"I love you, Mac."

He lifted his head and flashed her a cocky grin. "Do
you? Prove it."

A laugh bubbled up. "Only you, Mac, could make jokes
in Hell."

"Beats the alternative, love."

His knee parted her thighs. She opened for him gladly.
With a tilt of his hips, he pushed inside, entering her on a
long, slow glide, and then she wasn't laughing anymore.
Not at all.

He spoke soft, lilting words of magic. A circle of life
sprang up around them. When he moved inside her, nothing
outside mattered. Life and healing flooded her soul. When
he sought to claim every part of her, she held nothing back.
Deep in her belly, she felt something vital turn toward Mac's
light, like a flower toward the sun. And when the final pleasure came, it swept her into a place so beautiful she wept.

Mac awoke to find Artemis entwined tightly around his
body. He lay on his back; she was nestled against him,
her body stuck to him as if with glue. Her right arm was
locked in a stranglehold around his neck, and she'd flung
her right leg over both of his as if she were afraid he'd get
away. The vulnerable position was so unlike her he found
himself fighting a laugh.

A laugh that faded to a deep, burning contentment
when he remembered their lovemaking. Once again, the
connection they'd found went beyond anything he'd ever
experienced. Fantastic sex, yes, but so much more. Love.
And the experience of touching his unborn son's soul.

Now he had to take both Artemis and that new, precious life into the deepest level of Hell. Because there was
no other path to take. His immortal arse was hanging out
the window on this one, and he didn't like it one bit. But
he could see no other way.

He allowed himself one last look at Artemis's peaceful
expression before he shook her awake. "Come on, love.
Time to get up."

"Wha-?"

The dreamy fog in her blinking eyes made him smile.
All too soon it vanished, replaced by a spark of anxiety.

"Gods. I fell asleep? I don't believe it."

She retracted her limbs from his body, crimson painting her cheeks as she realized how tightly she'd been clutching him.

He felt all the poorer for the loss of her arms around
him. "You needed the sleep. How do you feel?"

"Fine." She paused, twin lines appearing between her
eyes. "Great, in fact. Better than I've felt in... well, in I
don't know how long. I'm almost..." She looked up at him.
"Hopeful."

"Good. Hold that thought."

Her hand came to rest on her belly, as if she sensed the
life growing there. He rose and extended her a hand. She
took it. They didn't speak as they shook out their clothes
and dressed.

"Are my jeans and shirt really clean?" Artemis asked.
"Or is this some kind of life glamour?"

"No, they're clean. Though they probably won't be by
the time we get home."

"Home." Her fingers paused in combing the knots from her hair. "Right. Only one more level to go, but it's the
worst of all."

He flexed his fist. Should he tell her now? It was past
time, but even after what they'd just shared, he still wasn't
sure how she'd react.

"Ptolomaea's adjacent to Satan's lair," she was saying.
"We should stay as far away from that as possible. Hopefully-"

"Artemis."

She blinked at him. "Yes?"

"I need to tell you something. Before we go another
step."

She frowned. "What is it?"

"When we reach Ptolomaea, I want you to leave Zander's rescue to me. Whatever it takes, I'll handle it. Please.
I need to know that you're safe."

"I can't promise you that, Mac. If Zander needs me-if
you need me-I won't just stand by and watch."

He picked up her hand and turned it palm up. Bending
his head, he traced the lines there. "I need you to stay safe,
Artemis, because there's another life at stake." He raised
his head and met her gaze. "I didn't tell you this before,
because I didn't know how you'd take it. I imagined you'd
be furious. Perhaps you still will be. But when I found you
here, half dead-I thought my own heart would stop.
You're carrying my son, Artemis. And I won't let any harm
come to him."

Her eyes widened; her nostrils flared. Her mouth
opened, but no words came out.

He placed her palm on her stomach. "He's barely a day
old, but if you look inward, love, I think you'll be able to
feel him."

The oddest expression crossed her face. "I'm... pregnant?"

He swallowed, and nodded.

"When... How...?" The words emerged as croaks.

"At my estate. I went a little crazy, lost control."

"But... that's impossible! I'm on the pill."

He almost laughed at that. "Do you honestly believe the
pill has any effect on a god?"

"You're only half a god," she whispered.

He shrugged. "Half is good enough, I suppose."

"And you knew? Right when it happened?"

"I had a good idea. I wasn't completely sure until I
caught up to you in Shadowhaven."

A shadow passed over her eyes. "So that's why you came
after me. Why you argued for my life before the Sidhe
Council. Why you followed me to Malachi's realm and
into Hell. I wondered. I knew..." She hugged her torso.
"I knew it couldn't be because of me."

"Artemis, love, look at me."

She studied the ground.

"Damn it, Artemis, that might have been the first reason I went after you. But it was by no means the last."

She held herself very, very still.

Bloody hell. He hated when she did that. "Artemis,
love-"

"No. Don't call me that. It's not me you love. It's-oh
gods. A baby? Will he... will he... or she... be immortal?"

"He. And yes, he'll be immortal. If he's delivered safely.
Until then, he could die."

She turned her back on him, both hands splayed on her
stomach. "And when... if... he's born? Will you take
him from me?"

"What?" Mac dragged both hands through his hair. "No!
Of course not. Not unless... unless you don't want him."

She didn't answer.

He paced a circle around her, until he was standing in
front of her again. "Would you want me to take him,
Artemis? Would you not want to raise our child?"

She closed her eyes, her head tilting back as she expelled an angry breath. "Gods. A baby. How could you do this to
me, Mac? I need all my strength for Zander. How can I
protect another child in Hell?"

"You won't have to, Artemis. I will."

"And if you can't? If it comes down to a choice? How
am I ever supposed to make that call?"

He gave her a long, even look. "It won't come to that. I
swear it." He held out a hand. "Trust me, Artemis."

She swallowed and looked away. She didn't, he noticed,
dip her head in a nod. His chest hurt. He had no right to
promise her everything would be all right. He didn't know
if it would be. He stared at her, mutely, willing her to look
at him.

After a time, she squared her shoulders. She didn't quite
meet his eye when she spoke. "I know you'll do everything
in your power to get us all out. But... I can't promise you
anything. Now, please. Can we go?"