Chapter 15
My brother Matteo told me once that when his lovers Analise and Luca are hurting, he feels it too. It starts as a pinch in the chest, then throbs as a dull ache. When The Shadow had Luca, he said it felt like his soul was being crushed.
His theory is that when we share intimacy with humans, we absorb a little piece of them. Typically, the connection is so miniscule, any residual “soul-sharing” is imperceptible. But if it’s a human you love beyond reason, like his attachment to Analise and Luca, the connection is intense and visceral.
I’d scoffed at the idea. After all, I’d been intimate with countless humans and never once felt the sensations he described. I still hadn’t experienced them.
Until now.
I rub my chest as I return the bottle of wine to the counter in Celeste’s penthouse. Something’s wrong. I don’t know more than that, but the throbbing ache behind my ribs feels exactly like what Matteo described. It can only mean one thing—one person.
Gabi.
I scoop my phone off the counter to check my messages for the hundredth time in the last two hours. Still nothing from the woman I’m terrified I’m coming to love. We’d been sexting all day, so there’s no way she’d ghost me now. Her last message said she had to “lunch with Mom by the pool,” followed by an eye-roll emoji. She promised to call me when she returned to her room.
Another piercing pain sends me hunching over, and I brace my elbows on the granite.
“Fuck,” I exhale, rubbing that spot again.
I call Gabi’s number, but after several rings, it goes to voicemail.
I try again and get the same result.
Panic runs through me as I scan the vacant apartment. It’s been more than empty without her. I’ve never felt lonely before, so it’s an odd feeling, although nothing like the pinch in my chest right now.
Maybe it’s time to risk Celeste’s wrath and go visit Gabi at their country house. Things have been frigid with Celeste since the gala, so I wasn’t surprised when she whisked her daughter away for some “fresh country air” early the following morning.
She made it abundantly clear I wasn’t invited, but I know where the estate is from a party I attended while Celeste and I were still in the flirting stage of our relationship. As long as I remain in The Translucence, she wouldn’t even know I was there. I can check on Gabi from my hidden vantage point, and once I see she’s okay, I’ll wait until it”s safe to cross over to the physical plane to talk to her.
I just need to make sure she’s okay.
After heading back to my room to get dressed, I take a deep breath, close my eyes, and cross into The Translucence.
The pain in my chest is almost unbearable by the time I jump through The Translucence to the country estate. I learn why when my search for Gabi leads me to the last place I expect to find her: the basement.
Even prepared for the worst, I’m not ready to see my badass warrior slumped on the floor, head on her knees. Celeste is upstairs on her phone, so it makes no sense that her daughter is down here.
Once I’m sure she’s alone, I cross into her plane.
Gabi’s hands fly to her mouth when she sees me.
“Aden?” She scrambles to her feet and rushes toward me.
I catch her, tightening her against me. It feels so good to have her in my arms again, and the ache in my chest eases. When I pull back to search her face, I can’t help but kiss her.
She whimpers as the kiss intensifies, clinging with a desperation that feels more than physical. When we finally break it off, she gazes up with wide, urgent eyes.
“You just… appeared. Did you come through that spirit world?”
“The Translucence? Yes, but we can discuss that later. Why are you down here? Did your mother do this?”
Fear seeps into her expression as she nods. “Mom has totally lost it. She told me all this shit about my dad and The Shadow, and you and I wanted to call you to warn you, but I couldn’t because…”
Tears well in her eyes, and I pull her against me again.
“It’s okay. Let’s get you out of here, and then we can figure out the rest.”
“How did you know I was here?”
“Something felt wrong, and when you didn’t answer your phone, I came looking for you. Come on. Let’s go somewhere safe.”
I reach for her hand but stop at the confusion on her face.
“How? Mom probably has this place locked down by now. She obviously doesn’t want me going anywhere.”
“I’ll take you through The Translucence.”
She squints at me. “I thought you said I couldn’t go there.”
“I said not unless it’s life or death. This feels pretty damn close. Just trust me, okay?”
After a long hesitation, she nods. Before she changes her mind, I grab her hand and transport us to The Translucence.
Except, a second later we haven’t moved.
“Shit,” I mutter.
“What’s wrong? Is it not working?”
“I must be too weak. Hey, um…” A surge of anticipation burns through me when I send her an awkward half-smile. “Remember how I said contact with you gives me strength?”
The corners of her mouth lift in realization. The heat flaring in her eyes ignites the rest of my body.
“Yes, please,” she says.
Fire rips through me when her hungry eyes search mine. I cup her head in my hands and brush my thumbs over her soft cheeks to absorb every crackling spark snapping between us. She’s so beautiful it almost hurts to look at her.
Her smile fades as she searches my gaze.
“I’m scared,” she whispers.
“I’m not going to let anyone hurt you. I’ll do whatever I have to do to keep you safe.”
“That’s what scares me.”
She doesn’t say more but her eyes are screaming the true depths of her feelings.
Mine must be too, because a second later she’s lifting up to meet my soft kiss.
The sweet buzz of the kiss sends soothing warmth through me, and my lips instinctively wrestle for more. Her arms curve around my shoulders to lock us together as she responds with equal urgency.
Take it easy. Don’t hurt her.
It’s the last thing I want to do, but I can’t stop either. I am drawn to her, desperate to satisfy the deep ache she stirs. It feels too good to have her, to be close to her again.
I need more, and my hands tangle in her hair as I walk her back toward the wall. She moans when I press into her, pinning her against the smooth stone. Her palms slide down my back to grip my ass and force us closer.
She grinds against me while our mouths and tongues unleash hours of restrained lust. Electricity runs up and down my body, surging through every limb and pooling in my dick, now hard and straining for her. The desperation in her touch tells me she feels it too. I have to stop this. The fire is raging out of control. I’m only supposed to be taking enough for us to cross over, and I will, just… one more second of relief.
She must have the same thought when she severs the kiss with a whimper. Her eyes lock on mine, her body still braced against me. Neither of us wants to let go, and she finds my hands to thread our fingers.
“Better?” Her smile is half-teasing, but I see the anxiety in her as well.
“Much. You ready to have your mind blown?”
“That’s been an hourly occurrence lately.” I manage a weak smile, and she tugs our joined hands. “If this doesn’t work, promise me you’ll leave anyway.”
I almost laugh. “I’m not leaving you here.”
“It’s not up for debate, Aden. I’ll be okay.”
“You don’t know that.”
“I do. You’re the one in danger. If Mom finds you here, I’m afraid she’ll hurt you.” She quiets, and something twists in my stomach at the concern in her expression. “She knows about your kind, Aden. I don’t think she knows you’re one of the deities, but she knows they exist. She says my father stole one. That’s what really happened to him. He’s not dead, he’s in hiding from The Shadow.”
Dread seeps into my stomach. “He stole one? Who did he steal?”
What if it’s one of my siblings? What if it’s Damon?! I try to remember the last time I saw my brother. Here I thought I was going after the Wells to get to The Shadow. I never guessed the Wells could be the monsters I was chasing.
“I don’t know who. I’m so sorry, Aden. I’m still trying to process it all. I don’t know what to believe anymore, but I know this is big enough that she’s willing to lock me in here. She has some plan, and I hate to think what would happen if she found out who you really are.”
“Was your mom part of this?”
“I don’t think so. Not until my father got us into trouble, but I have no doubtshe’d hurt you. She’ll do anything to cancel my father’s debt to The Shadow.” She squeezes my hands. “The point is, no matter what happens, you can’t be here when she comes back.”
“Thanks for the heads-up, but none of this changes anything. I’m still not leaving you here.”
“Stop saying that! It’s not up for debate.”
I search her eyes for several long seconds. We’re at a stalemate, but there’s no point in continuing this argument. Once we’re free, none of it matters anyway.
Except, now the doubts are creeping in. I’ve only transported a human through The Translucence once before, and like I told Gabi, it was life or death. We had nothing to lose. Plus, I was prepared for that and went in stronger than I am now.
Her kisses from a minute ago will help, but I don’t know if it’s enough. There’s a chance this doesn’t go as expected.
Then again, the alternative is to wait for Celeste to come back and learn I’m not human when she finds me here. There’s a hundred percent chance that doesn’t go well.
I squeeze Gabi’s fingers, close my eyes, and take us back into the dark.
As soon as we enter The Translucence, I know we’re in trouble. A wave of dizziness washes over me, and I will myself to stay upright.
Please be strong enough.
“Holy shit,” she mumbles. “This is The Translucence?”
“Yes, and we can’t stay long.”
“It’s so… creepy. Everything is in a haze. My voice sounds like I’m standing behind a wall.”
She shudders, and I grip her hand. “You’ll be fine. Just don’t let go, okay?”
While she takes in this foreign plane, I concentrate on getting us out of here. But when I visualize my brother’s secluded mansion to move us there, nothing happens.
Come on. You have to do this.
“Who are they?” Gabi asks, shrinking closer to me.
I follow her gaze to the human-like figures wandering around to our left.
“Souls that are stuck here for some reason or another. Usually, they hang around people or places that meant something to them, either positive or negative. Do any of them look familiar?”
She shakes her head. “So, they’re… ghosts? Are they everywhere? Do they just stand there and watch us?”
“Not everywhere, and not always.”
I force my concentration back to moving us again.
Still nothing.
Shit shit shit.
The tension on my hand changes, and I open my eyes to see Gabi’s anxious stare locked on something else. I follow her gaze and…
Oh no.
The door to the small room is open! I stare in horror as Celeste steps inside with a tray of snacks. Her stern expression turns confused, then frantic.
“Gabi?” she says. “Gabriela! Oh my god.”
She runs back out, clearly on a mission.
“Fuck,” I breathe out.
My grip on Gabi’s hand is brutal as I try to move us again. All I get is another flood of nausea. Even worse, Gabi is now doubled over.
“Hey, are you okay?”
She shakes her head. “The air. It’s…”
Panic erupts inside me when she chokes on the rest.
No! We need more time!
“Aden…” She struggles to finish.
“Shit!” I rip at my hair, having no idea what to do. I have to get her out of The Translucence, but I’m clearly not strong enough to take us somewhere else. Just getting us here took too much.
“I have to take you back.”
“No!” she gasps out. “Mom will… see you and…”
Celeste returns to the scene and I go cold at the gun in her hand.
“Fuck!” I cry out in frustration.
Gabi is choking.
My heart is breaking.
Celeste is prepared for war, but I don’t have a choice. There is no choice when it comes to Gabi.
I tighten my grip on her hand. “Hold on. You’ll be okay.”
“No!” she wheezes out. “She’ll hurt…”
She can’t even finish, and a second later, the veil lifts. Gabi coughs violently as air floods into her lungs.
“Get away from her!” Celeste shrieks.
“Okay! Just…” I release Gabi and hold up my hands.
“Aden?” Celeste gasps. “How did you… What did you do to her, you bastard?!”
“Nothing! I swear. I was just?—”
A solid blow from behind sends me to the floor. I groan as pain explodes through my skull.
Fuck.
It felt like the butt of a gun, but Celeste is still in front of me. The room is spinning. I reach back to feel the wetness of blood. I try to see who hit me, but I can’t get my body to move.
Get up! Gabi needs you.
“You’re one of them, aren’t you?! This whole time you’ve been one of those monsters!” Celeste roars.
I push up to my knees, my head throbbing. To my right, Gabi is still trying to orient herself, but at least she looks okay. Thank god.
“Answer her!” a man roars from behind me. He must be the one who hit me.
I feel the pressure of hard metal pressed against my head.
Still on the floor, I fix my gaze on Celeste.
“Celeste, please. I didn’t hurt her, I swear.”
“But you are one of them?!”
“I…”
“Answer me!”
The gun nudges my head forward.
“Rob, no!” Gabi shouts.
Rob?
I turn toward my attacker, but never see his face.