FOREVER KNIGHTS: #13 Salvaging Souls

Her brothers and sister had shifted at the table to stare at her in astonishment.

Stepping to his side so he had to turn his head completely sideways to look up at her, she hooked her finger under the chain at his collar and lifted it. Following the chain around to the front she pulled it from under his shirt.

He was still, watching her impassively as she guided the heavy pendant from beneath his shirt. He made no move to stop her. Sitting inhumanly still as he studied her face.

Releasing the chain, she caught the pendant in her palm. Feeling the warmth of where his chest heated against it. She gasped, dropping the pendant as though evil.

It was a cross with a small amber colored stone. A silver dragon winding around it.

A dragon’s eye.

“Earth and rain is what you smell like.” She sniffed lightly. “I should’ve known that.”

Should’ve recognized it. She commented on it enough when I came to her in spirit. The muscle in his jaw ticked slightly. Knowing what she was confronting him about.

Images flooded her mind’s eye. The pendant as it’d been then, framed by folds of a thin black shirt open down the front of his chest. That stone glowing faintly in moonlight. Even from so high above him, her attention had been captured.

Than the glimpses of the face shadowed in her room, eyes glittering in dark depths. The smooth hand raking the door.

Beth’s ‘Guardian’.

The pieces were clicking together faster. Images seeming incredibly similar in a way she’d not recognized before.

The black beast in the forest.

“It’s all you, isn’t it?” She lifted accusing eyes before saying harshly. “What are you?”

It’s always been me. Cocking his head slowly he said nothing.

“What do you want?” She demanded, voice cracking.

You.

“What all men want.”

My mate.

“Go to Hell!” Feeling her face flushing with rage she moved to slap him.

Startled he reflexively deflected it and unfolded to his feet. Eyes unmoving on her.

She’s scared. An almost apologetic look flickered over his face. But was gone just as quick.

She turned to leave, but he caught her wrist. Jerking her back against him.

“Hey!” Nick leapt to his feet. Toppling his chair.

But Bast’s staying hand against his chest gave him pause. Bast’s gaze flared gold and he slowly shook his head. Voice lowering and becoming persuasive. “Not in this…”

Nick nodded and slumped back to his chair.

Chairs scraped as her other brothers stirred. Preparing to come to her defense.

Without breaking his gaze from her, Deragan waved his arm and the air felt like liquid as it ran over her, stealing her breath.

In a wave it coursed over the room and everyone went inhumanly still and silent.

Each of her family members had become like statues. As if time itself ceased rolling forward.

Frozen in their tracks. He began a slow circle around her. Head dropped predatorily. Letting his dark blue eyes sink into her now. No longer bothering to hide them.

“What have you done to them?” Her voice quaked.

I’ll release them. In a moment.

“They’re not hurt. I just want you to listen to me.”

“To listen to all this nonsense?” She expostulated.

“I’ll tell you whatever you want to know.” He said coolly.

She gestured outside in the direction of the fountain. “And the loving husband that carved that?”

“Was me.” He looked at her levelly. “Chiseled for you in the 1700s. On the Isle of Wight.”

It took me months.

“How’d it get here?” her voice rose. Arms swinging.

“I imported it.”

“Are you serious? You really think I’m your wife reincarnated?” She was almost shouting.

“I know you are.” Giving a frustrated sigh, he said. “You’re already having the nightmares.” At her wide-eyed look he continued. “They’re real. Memories of what Radix has done to you in past lives. They’re the whispering of your soul. Trying to warn you who he is.”

She eyed him but there was such certainty in his voice it was hard to doubt.

“Don’t you feel it when we’re close? Electric heat between us. A connection deeper than blood. That’s why you can sense me even when you don’t know I’m there.

“You’re ridiculous.” She shouted, backing up.

He watched her motionlessly, like a predator. “Sorry I deceived you, but it was the only way to get close to you.”

“What?” She shook her head askance.

“You’re instinctively wary. More so each life.” He explained. “Because you’ve been harmed in so many.”

“If you want me to believe that, you’ll have to tell me more.”

“Fine.” He shrugged. “What do you want to know?”

“Names. Give me my names.” She ordered.

“Lacey, Emille, Abigail, Beth, Bonnie, Lucille, AnneMarie, Rebecca, Isabelle, Anastasia, Veronica-“

“Stop.” She lifted her hand to stop him.

“All were last name Black?”

He nodded slowly. “Radix always comes for you once we’re wed. I suppose before that he still hopes to sway you.” His voice was filled with sorrow. He swallowed hard before adding. “We’ve always had to marry in secret.”

She frowned. “In all those lifetimes…I always picked you?”

A pained look crossed his face. “Yes.” His lips tightened. “But sometimes it took longer than others.”

“Do you know how crazy that sounds?”

“Yes.”