In the distance, a door crashed open. A terrifying roar reverberated through the room.“Get the fuck away from her!”
“This has to be done…” were the last words Darci heard as darkness hauled her into a churning miasma of fiery colors before tossing her into a void of nothingness.
* * *
His heart shuddering in terror, Blaéz flung The Morrigan aside with his mind and grabbed Darci as she collapsed. Her chest rose and fell in jerky movements, her features contorted in agony. The terry robe slipped off one shoulder, revealing a red imprint on the curve of her breast, the mark glowing as if it were on fire.
Dread slicing through him, he laid her on the couch and placed his palm over the burn, letting his healing powers flow into her. The transcendent, restorative energy spread over her wound…and fizzled out.
No—fuck no!The fury roiling through him crashed in his head. He moved in a blur, mind-slamming The Morrigan back against the wooden wall.
“What the hell have you done?” he snarled, stopping a hair’s breadth from her. “When will this shit ever end? Finnén hunting us like godsdamn criminals! Now you’re here! Don’tyouget it? She’s my mate, my life—theonlypersonIlove and want. And you’re after her again. Just leave us the fuck alone—”
The Morrigan’s eyes darkened, her features paler than usual. “I failed you so many times, I only wanted to help.”
Breathing hard, he stepped back. “I don’t want your help—”
The front door flew open like a storm had blasted inside. A huge male entered.
“The human world, brrr, still so cold,” the stranger grumbled, dusting the snow off his fair hair and long, brown leather coat. With a wave of his hand, he shut the door. The next instant, the snow feathering his hair and clothes disappeared.
He strolled across to them, sharp gray eyes arrowing in on Blaéz. The Morrigan’s mouth tightened, but the male didn’t pay her any notice. He stopped a foot away from them. Power rolled off him, briefly pinging Blaéz’s psyche with little pinpricks.
“So, this is him, Morri?” he asked. “The one whose birth you hid from me?”
Blaéz stepped back, keeping Darci’s unconscious form safe behind him. Her erratic breathing and heartbeat had eased somewhat, reassuring him. He narrowed his eyes at the newest intruder.
“Judging by your killing expression, I’m guessing she hasn’t told you anything as usual,” the stranger said, glancing briefly at The Morrigan. “Typical, my love. Hmm… Is this her?” He nodded at Darci lying on the couch. “The female you asked this favor for?”
“You have one second to start explaining,” Blaéz said coldly, his fingers balling, ready to kill this trespasser.
The male scratched his clean-shaven jaw, seeming unfazed by the threat. His eyes glowed with satisfaction. “I am Dagda, your sire. Yourmáthairasked me for a boon. Obviously, I was curious since it comes at a cost—a decade of her time spent with me…” He stroked The Morrigan’s cheek, looking into her eyes as he continued speaking to Blaéz. “Which, unfortunately, she detests very much because it means a quiet time, minus her wars.”
Blaéz stared at the male who claimed to be his father. Yeah, right. He had to be suspended in a dream. Maybe he hadn’t gotten up this afternoon and was still trapped in a nightmare and shit was about to land any moment now.
A soft moan dragged Blaéz out of his stupor of disbelief. He cut Darci a quick look as she sat up and winced. His attention snapping back to the interlopers, he reached out and helped her to her feet. Darci stiffened and pressed into him.
“What’s going on?” she whispered.
Blaéz put his arm around her and brushed a kiss to the top of her head.It’s what I’m trying to find out,he telepathed in response. He slashed a cold stare at The Morrigan. “What did you do to my mate?”
“All will be as it should.”
Blaéz ground his teeth at her cryptic counter. She glided toward them, her expression calm. “May I?” she asked Darci, who eyed her cautiously.
“No!” Blaéz bit out, stepping back.
After a second, Darci patted his abs. “It’s okay.” She nodded, and the goddess eased the robe away a little from her chest. “All is good.”
Blaéz frowned. Instead of the glowing burn on Darci’s chest, imprinted there now were curling twin flames that met in the center on the slightly reddened skin.
His gaze snapped back to them. “What is the meaning of this?”
Dagda was all-powerful. The god could look into the past, reanimate life if he so chose, and do a whole bunch of other things Blaéz hadn’t cared to hear about back then. He’d been too steeped in shit with Finnén always dogging his heels.
The Morrigan stared at him for an endlessly long second, then said, “Longevity.”
“Eternal life,” Dagda clarified.
