Following his lead, I peer through the tree trunks to see a crumbling, ancient stone temple in the clearing in front of us. It backs up against a mountain, the stone steps mostly intact, but the rest of it is in dire need of repair. A pillar has collapsed in front of the entrance, so old that moss has overtaken it.Bits of dingy white stone have crumbled and fallen around it, looking like something out of Ever’s fantasy games. Shrouded in mystery, with enough malignant energy and ominous foreboding surrounding it to send the average man running for the hills.
The skulls and charred plants ringing the property like a warning to ward off superstitious humans mean nothing to me. I grew up in an assassin’s guild; I used skulls as building blocks as a kid. It’ll take a hell of a lot more than this to scare me off.
“So what’s the plan?”
Ledger scrubs a hand over the scruff on his jaw, scowling. “Without being able to rely on our powers, our best chance is Myles’s idea. You and I will be a distraction while taking as many people out of commission as we can to buy him time to find where they’re keeping Ever and Bellamy.”
“And if they’re unconscious and need to be carried out?” I demand, restless. Agitated.
I respect my baby brother, but we need to be realistic. He can only carry one of them, and while I’d like to pretend he’d make the right choice, he’d never leave Bell behind. He’d waste precious time trying to figure out how to save them both.
“Don’t underestimate your brother.” Ledger clenches his fist, scanning the woods with a keen eye, searching for traps or ambush. “He’ll figure out a way to get them out while we give him cover.”
If I could find the bastard neutralizing our powers, it’d be a non-issue. I could just scoop up my angel and disappear. The others too, I guess. Ever would probably be sad if I left them for dead.
And… they’re starting to grow on me. A little.
“I’ll get them out,” Myles declares, steeling his spine and giving me pause, canting my head as I study him in a new light. Maybe a power boost isn’t the only thing bonding Ever gave him,because that confidence has our girl’s name written all over it. “You just worry about buying me as much time as possible.”
A slow grin curls my lips. Maybe Ever was right; discretion isn’t my forte. But burning shit to the ground?
Gotta live up to my namesake.
Chapter 5
Ever
Ihate to admit it, but the clothes Bellamy’s grandma brought me are kind of perfect. Thick, dark brown leggings with an elastic waistband; flexible, comfortable, yet tough enough to protect my knees from all the stone around. An elven-inspired purple tunic falls almost to my elbows and halfway down my thighs, cinched at my waist with a leather belt. At my hip is an empty pouch, and I discreetly snag a jagged stone on our way down the endless tunnels to slip inside.
Might not be much of a weapon, but even a spoon can take someone’s eye out if you’re determined enough.
Nudging Bellamy with my shoulder, I whisper, “Elder Bell, huh?”
He shakes his head with a sigh. “I already told her we aren’t sticking around while you were changing, but she’s stubbornly in denial.”
I bite my lip, torn. “You… you dowantto leave, right?”
Bellamy only left to find me, and fully planned to bring me here. And as much as I hate to admit it… he had a point about the danger we’re in. Mercy Ridge is supposed to be a safe haven for mysts, yet we were both kidnapped in broad daylight. We’reluckyit was his family. What if word gets out that we’re mimics? We’ll be constantly looking over our shoulders, wondering if someone is going to attack us. What kind of life is that?
He stops, studying my face curiously. “Why on earth would I want to stay?”
I gesture at the ethereal glowing walls around us. “Whywouldn’tyou? Your home is like something right out of an RPG! ?*It’s magical, and breathtakingly beautiful, and safe from the rest of the world. Not to mention, everyone you love is here.”
Gaze softening, he cups my cheek. “No, everyone I love is righthere.And even as introverted as you are, you’d never be happy sacrificing your dreams to stay hidden away from the world forever, separated from your other mates. I’m happy to show you every magical thing this place has to offer, but it hasn’t been my home since the day I met you, Ever.”
My mouth is suddenly dry. “Bell…”
“Come on, you slow pokes,” Naomi shouts from up ahead. “Goodness, you should be embarrassed, unable to keep up with an old woman.”
Ghosting his lips across mine, I feel Bellamy’s words more than hear them. “If we hurry, we could make it back to our room before she can stop us.”
“Try it, and you’ll be running drills for a month, young man,” she casually threatens without missing a beat.
With a heavy sigh of defeat, Bellamy kisses me gently once more before pulling away, taking my hand and lacing our fingers together. My heart skips a beat, and I hold on a little tighter.
As awful as it sounds… a little part of me is actually grateful we got abducted together. He broached the subject about leveling up our relationship from friends to mates, but left the ball in my court, and I wasn’t really sure how to take the first step, nerves holding me back from making the first move. Here? It’s like the two of us are in our own little bubble, removed fromthe pressures of our real lives. It gives me some of that ‘what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas’ courage to be a little bolder, and less worried about what our lives will look like two months down the road.
No better icebreaker than surviving a traumatic event together. Throw in some forced proximity and one bed, and it’s a recipe for either a great weekend, or epic disaster. But I’m self-destructive enough to take that bet.
