Chapter 23
DARCIE
An hour later, we arrive at a private airfield located just outside of Athens. A sleek, silver jet waits for us on the tarmac, gleaming under the sun that nears the horizon.
Alex, Gregory, Lucas, and Paige walk ahead of me. My mother and Mistress Lola hang back, speaking with the Immortal brothers who stand by the edge of the tarmac, beside their black SUVs.
My steps slow.
Don’t do it, Darcie.
I tell my feet to move, but they refuse.
They are glued to the ground, the rubber melted under the heat of the stare burning the center of my back.
And I know exactly who the stare belongs to.
Against my better judgment, I turn.
Even from twenty feet away, the storm in Des’s gaze hits me.
I take a staggered breath.
I didn’t expect him to come see us off, not after he disappeared when we returned to the garage. Not after he agreed to keep his distance.
But when the rest of us piled into one of two black SUVs to take us to the airport, he reappeared and sat in the passenger seat of the vehicle Lome drove. The same one I rode in. But he didn’t say a word.
Not that the others did either.
I don’t know if everyone picked up on the tension brimming between me and the Original Immortal, but Gregory, Lucas and Paige kept quiet during the drive.
I imagine the other car with Alex, Thane, Mistress Lola, and my mother wasn’t too lively, either.
There’s tension between my mother and her former friend. It’s obvious every time they stand within a foot of each other. I don’t know who is angry or upset with whom, but if they don’t fix their problems, the task force is going to be awkward as hell.
Des stands apart from the rest. The wind tugs at his dark hair, and the setting sun paints him in gold.
My throat tightens.
For the thousandth time, I wish things could be different.
I wish Des’s past soulmates weren’t viciously murdered before they could bond…that he didn’t hold himself responsible for their deaths.
That the connection between us wouldn’t always exist, no matter what either of us wants.
Whatever conversation the Nightsbane witches have with Lome and Thane comes to an end. They begin to walk to the jet, heading my direction.
A new set of eyes lands on me. I don’t have to look to know they belong to my mother.
I ignore her.
My mother has had two days to speak with me—to acknowledge me. And I’m not about to let our first interaction occur in front of an audience.
Her violet cloak billows in the breeze as she walks by, and the scent of her rose perfume flows into my nostrils—the same as the half-used bottle Dad keeps in his bathroom, next to the vanity he never uses.
I take a steadying breath.
Des’s gaze softens, and he lifts a hand in farewell.
My heart hurts.
I bite the inside of my cheek and lift my hand in a quick wave, extending it to Lome and Thane, who are now watching me with knowing eyes.
I spin around and walk to the jet, climb the stairs, and step inside.
The interior is lined with cream leather, polished wood, and the faint scent of citrus cleaner.
The seats aren’t arranged like a plane I’ve ever been on.
On the jet, they look more like overstuffed armchairs.
And instead of all facing one direction, they are arranged in groups of four on either side, two seats facing the other two.
A petite flight attendant greets me at the entrance. “Welcome aboard. Please take any seat you’d like.”
A quick scan reveals Alex, Mistress Lola, Lucas, and my mother are seated on the left side of the plane. On the right, Paige sits with her back to the cockpit. Gregory stands near the rear, waiting for me to choose my seat.
I drop into the window seat across from Paige. I tuck my smaller duffle, the one with my phone, under my seat, then fasten my seat belt as Gregory stows my other bag overhead before taking the seat next to me.
“You all right?” he asks in a low voice. His eyes dart meaningfully to the window.
I follow his gaze and frown at the clear view of Des standing with his brother.
I face forward. “I’m fine.”
At least, I will be.
Gregory doesn’t press. He settles into his seat, but not before taking out his Sherlock Holmes novel and opening to a dog-eared page. I smile to myself, then take out my cell phone.
I send a quick text to Dad, wishing him goodnight. He doesn’t know I’m leaving Greece, and thanks to the brothers' Masking, he won’t expect to see me anytime soon. With any luck, I won’t be gone long, and once I return, I’ll be able to return to a semi-normal life.
As normal as becoming Immortal and wielding magical powers can be…
The flight attendant closes the cabin door, and the hum of the engines fills the silence.
Across the aisle, my mother’s gaze drifts to me. I open my ebook app and glue my eyes to the screen.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” the pilot’s voice crackles over the intercom. “Prepare for takeoff.”
The engines whine louder, and the cabin vibrates as the jet rolls forward to the runway.
My stomach flips when the wheels leave the ground. Greece shrinks beneath us, vanishing under a sea of clouds.
When the pilot informs us we are at cruising altitude and can move about the cabin, Alex’s voice cuts through the air.
“Alright, everyone. We land in ten hours. I suggest everyone get some sleep. When we arrive, we will go straight to the safe house. Then, tomorrow evening, we will meet our first contact.”
“Where exactly are we going?” I ask.
“Southern Florida.”
“Florida?” My brows rise. “Why in the world would we go there?”
“There have been several reliable reports of rebel movement outside of Miami.”
I slump back in my seat with a shake of my head. “It doesn’t seem like the sort of place a high and mighty Original would want to be.”
Adir’s fortress in Turkey, where he’d taken me after abducting me from Greece, had been massive. And historic.
I can’t imagine the pretentious Immortal posting up anywhere else. Not even in one of the luxury mansions in the Sunshine state.
Gregory chuckles quietly beside me.
Even Paige, sitting rigid and silent in front of us, gives a snort.
“Trust our intelligence,” is Alex’s reply. He settles back in his chair. “Now, excuse me, but I intend to rest.”
He closes his eyes.
Those seated around him do the same.
The lights over their seats dim.
Paige reaches up to turn off hers, as well.
She curls into her chair, resting her feet over the armrest of the seat next to her, but I don’t think she’s sleeping.
Anxious energy pulses through me. I reread the same paragraph five times before giving up and turning off my phone.
I look outside the window, staring at the stars, and try not to think of Greece or the Immortal family I left behind.
And certainly not a pair of emerald eyes that will never stop haunting me.