“You’ll make their heart beat. Again.”
The answer was so quaint.
“But what about Blue? About what the voice inside her head said? Roane and I aren’t supposed to be divided?” I’d been running when I knew that the ancient voice had commanded otherwise. I should be ashamed.
“That was Jacith. He’s a moron who believes he’s got way more power than he does. You have that power. Not him. You have the knowledge. Not him, but you are needed back there. Get back there! NOW!”
The decision slammed into my chest.
The sound of water tickled behind the back of my head. I focused on it again. It was louder than before. Roane had said the tunnel would pass the fountain. Maybe…I moved forward and as the water grew louder, I knew what I needed to do. Determination rang through me when I felt the tunnel dip dramatically below my feet and the sound of rushing water slammed against my ears.
A rock wall was beside me. It was dank to the touch and I closed my eyes because I could feel the water on the other side. It was swirling angrily, ferocious to hear. When I’d been upstairs, I had tried to look for the bottom of the fountain. I hadn’t been able to see it, but now I wondered if I was nearing the end. I pressed further and the sound grew louder and louder.
The water slammed against the rock. As I turned a corner, there it was. I’d come to an opening in the tunnel. The water rushed past me and dramatically turned to the left, but not before some of it splashed over a small hedge that separated the water from the tunnel. It disappeared from there, but there was a small walking path beside the water.
I watched the water, saw deep into the blue depths, and before I knew it—I had raised my hand above the water. Something sparked inside of me and I watched from outside my body. The water lifted out of the fountain and held still in the air. It waited for my hand’s command, my command.
I had no idea if I was doing it or if the Immortal was, but I held my breath as I raised my hand. The water followed. It lifted from the floor before I settled it back down, gently. That’s when I stepped on top of the hedge and before I knew it, I’d stepped on top of the water. A part of me screamed inside, but I watched my face from outside my body. I looked calm, in control, and confident.
She knew what she was doing. She knew where she was going. She was secure. Then the water rose around her and shot upwards.
CHAPTER TWENTY SIX
I watched from a distance as my body rode that water upwards. It surged, rolled, and seemed to thunder as gravity was flipped upside down. I couldn’t take my eyes off of myself. Something totally alien took over my body. My normally frizzy brown curls were sleek as they lay against my shoulders. The curls perfectly framed my face and my lips seemed to form a small heart.
As we—me and myself—neared the top, I watched my eyelids lift and I froze in shock.
I had brown eyes, but these were silver. They seemed to see everything at once. Then they turned towards me and seemed to zap me. “Get back. Now!”
I felt myself sucked through the air and crashed into my body. I gasped, choked, and struggled against what was happening.
“Accept me. Accept yourself,” The Immortal me told myself. This voice was me. I wondered, belatedly, if I could have three different personas inside of me and still be sane. Maybe. I doubted it, though.
“Accept—now!” With that last command, I threw back my head, my arms jerked upwards, and I gasped as something flowed down my throat. It molded to my body. Then the world rushed at me with breakneck speed. I lifted high and over. The water fell away and I looked around the room.
Kates was frozen beside Lucan. Her blue eyes were wide, terrified, but what drew my eye wasn’t how she looked at me. It was the knowledge that burned bright. She’d known, but seeing it was a different matter. Still… that wasn’t the knowledge that I saw. She knew something else was going to happen, something that she didn’t want to admit to herself. I saw it so bright. It was like a candle that flickered behind her.
“You!” Lucan growled. His hair was pushed back, carelessly, but it molded to the sides of his face. His eyes gleamed cruelly and he sneered as if knowing he’d won.
I felt Roane jerk forward. He stepped to move between myself and his brother, but I stopped him. When I lifted a hand, the room rattled. “No.”
“Wha—” Kates gasped and jerked her head around.
“Holy fu—.” Even Wren was amazed as she took in the scene.
“Davy, stop,” Roane said, but it was too late.
I moved around and stepped in front of Lucan. As I looked down at him, I realized that I was floating in the air. Something prickled the back of my wrist and I looked around.
Every glass, every champagne flute, every crystal dish floated in the air. All those diamonds sparkled furiously. They were blinding, but I saw them through my silver eyes. They looked like air particles to me.
“What—you’re the Immortal. You!” Lucan took a step forward.
“Lucan!” Roane shouted a warning.
I spoke above Roane. “Yes. I am she. I am the Immortal.”
My voice was different. It wasn’t just mine, but all the Immortals before me. Something ancient poured through me. It was frightening, but I felt the power. “I am not what you want, Lucan. That is my only warning.”
“Davy, don’t do this,” Kates whispered this time. “Please. Please don’t do this.”
I merely looked at her. The candle started to burn brighter.
Lucan growled ferociously this time. He reached for my wrist, but two things happened in the blink of my eye. Kates stepped in front of him, her back to me. And Roane flung himself forward.
I stopped everything.
Time stood still, but Roane jerked me behind him. As I fell to the floor, I raised my head. “That’s right. You’re connected to me.”
“My blood is in you.” Roane turned and glared at his brother.
“He’s frozen. I stopped time.”
“So I see,” Roane breathed harshly. He raked a chilling glare over his brother again before he turned and regarded me.
I stood to meet him and tilted my chin for respect. “You don’t approve of what I’ve done.”
“This isn’t you, Davy. This is the Immortal. You’re not…” He gestured to my body. “This isn’t you. I want you back.”
I could’ve told him that this was the new me, but instead I stepped around him. I stared at Kates and breathed out in awe, “Look at her.”
The candle now shone brightly behind her. The blinding yellow flame encompassed her body. She was a mere black shadow in front of it.
“Do you see it?” I wanted him to see it.
Roane frowned, but looked. “It’s the slayer. She’s trying to save Lucan.”
She wasn’t. She wasn’t doing that at all. My hand rose of its own volition, but it dropped now, saddened. “You don’t see it.”
“She doesn’t want me to hurt him. She’s in love with him, what do you expect?”
“She’s not saving him. She thinks she’s saving me. It’s so bright around her. It’s her hope.” The candle burned even brighter now. It looked like it was going to explode. “She’s saving herself.”
“She’s not, Davy.” Roane was firm. “Kates is smart. She knows that I wouldn’t let him touch you. She’s making her move against me, not for you.”
He was wrong. Roane didn’t realize what had happened. He didn’t really understand who I was anymore. Everything he knew was limited. All the vampires thought wrong.
It didn’t matter, not right then, but I turned and gazed at my lover. He looked fierce with murder in his eyes. Every part of him screamed that he was an animal, but I remembered what he’d said before.
“There’s a soul inside of you.”
Roane frowned, jerked off balance for a moment.
I moved forward and lifted a palm to his chest. His muscles jerked in response from my touch, but he held still.