He didn’t answer. “But then I saw you, and I knew exactly who you were to me.”
“I’m nothing to you.”
He met her gaze, his eyes glowing red for an instant, and she froze.
“What are you?” she whispered.
“You can feel it, can’t you? Who we could be? It’s not just one-sided. It can’t be. You know that not everybody can feel that pull. Sometimes, it takes years for it to grow between people. But a bond can be made, and it didn’t even surprise you. I feel it already, and I’ve only been in your presence for moments. We have the potential to be true halves, mates in truth. But I didn’t plan on this. I didn’t plan on you.”
She swallowed hard, trying to ignore the feeling inside. Because she felt the tug, that pull. The fact that he could be the one person to complete her soul.
But she didn’t want that. She couldn’t.
“It doesn’t matter what I feel, not when I have a mission. And that is to find out exactly what you want, and who you are. You keep neglecting to mention that, so, why don’t you tell me?”
“I haven’t told anybody who we are for so long, it’s hard.”
“Just say the words, and then we’ll figure this out. Though the fact that you threatened the Conclave means you’re not on the right side. You’re the one I need to protect my people from.”
“Your Conclave has ignored my people for centuries because of their prejudice.”
“I am part of the Conclave. So, watch your tone.”
“My apologies, Caly. I was merely speaking of your elders. The ones who hide their secrets.”
“Everybody’s allowed to have secrets,” she whispered.
“And yet you want me to divulge mine?”
“Because you’re playing games. You want your people to be recognized by the Conclave. And you threaten to do it. Yet you won’t tell anybody, you won’t tell me what kind of supernatural you are. How are we supposed to want you to be part of us and give you a voice when you won’t even make your true intentions known?”
“You’ve got me there, but the elders know who I am. The fact that they sent you on this wild goose chase means that they want to look as if they’re trying.”
She froze, blinking. “They can’t know, they wouldn’t have done that.” But she knew she was lying. She didn’t like the elders. Never had. They had forced some of the Conclave members to do things that nobody in their right mind would ever want to do. They’d stayed back from wars when it served them, and they hid behind their shield of power.
It was only because of the lightning-struck, and Dante himself that the actual apocalypse had ended before it began. The elders would have let it happen, stating that nature needed to run its course.
“I’m an immortal,” he said, his eyes narrowed.
She rolled her eyes. “Oh, that’s a good one. We’re all immortal, you asshole. That’s what being a supernatural means.”
“No, the supernaturals appear immortal. I’m a true immortal.”
She froze. “You can’t die?”
He shook his head. “You can’t kill what’s already dead, can you?”
Fear crawled up her spine. “Tell me what you are.”
“I’m not what they say I am.”
Before she could question him further or shake him to get the answers she wanted, there was a sound behind him, and he whirled, the red of his eyes lighting up the cave.
“Damn it, he found me.”
“You brought danger to my realm?”
“I thought I was the danger,” he drawled, and she cursed under her breath.
“Who is it?” she asked, ignoring his taunts. He was on edge. And if he was, she needed to be.
“One of my kind who wants to eradicate the rest of us. And then wipe out the rest of you. He’s dark, but I won’t have you hurt.”
“Because you want answers from me? You want help?”
He looked over his shoulder and shook his head. “Because you’re mine.” And then he jumped, and a blur moved across her vision.
She let out a shout as a man in dark leather pants and a leather jacket came at Misha, his hands outstretched, clawed fingertips slashing.
She slid the water from the crevices around her and let it wrap around her arms and legs before she pushed it at whatever blur was attacking Misha. She might not trust the man, but she wasn’t going to let him die on her watch. After all, she had to find out exactly who he was.
The dark blur shaped like a man hit and slashed at Misha, who ducked out of the way in time. They weren’t using weapons. Instead, both were using immense strength and fighting skills.
They were far faster than she could ever hope to be, but she tried to lash out with her water at them, attempted to use her strength. However, the two were just too fast for her.
She watched as Misha gripped the other man around the neck and squeezed, and then the enemy sliced his claws down Misha’s side. Misha shouted, blood spraying all around him, and Caly moved closer, trying to help. She wasn’t going to just stand back and watch Misha die. She might not trust him fully, but she didn’t want him dead either. And the part of her that was pulled towards him, that wanted him, refused to let her stand back either.
She moved forward, using her water to slam into the unknown man. He didn’t budge, but then she used her strength and punched at the man’s face. His head shot back, and he hissed at her, fangs dripping.
She blinked. Fangs? What kind of paranormal was he?
He let go of Misha as Misha staggered back, putting his hand over his side, trying to stanch the blood. She kicked, lashed out at the other man, and got one good blow in before he swept his arm out and hit her so hard in the face, she saw stars. Her back hit the rocks behind her, and she blinked, spitting out blood as she tried to focus.
Misha roared and attacked the blurred man again. The other man kicked, still fighting Misha. She shook her head, wincing at the ache, and then stood up, trying to regain her balance.
She wasn’t the strongest mer-kin out there. In fact, she was better at using her brain than her fists, but she went at the enemy again. Fighting, kicking. When he sliced his fangs along her arm, she shouted, pulling her hand back as it stung. It burned, but she ignored the wound, trying to help Misha.
Misha clawed at the man again, then the shadow winked and disappeared just as Misha had before.
She looked down at her arm, the blood welling, and she cursed. “What the hell was he?”
Misha staggered towards her, took her hand in his, and placed his mouth over her arm.
She pushed at him. “What the hell are you doing?”
“I need to get the venom out before it kills you. He left a paralytic agent in your veins. Can’t you feel the burn?”
As soon as he said it, she felt it, as if molten silver slid through her. Her hands shook. “My goddess, what is it?”
“Poison. It won’t turn you into one of us, but it will kill you,” he said as if being one of his kind was worse than death. She wasn’t sure how she felt about that. She couldn’t focus, however, because he latched his mouth onto her arm. She could feel the poison sliding back out, and she went to her knees, her body shaking. It was as if Misha were sucking on a snakebite, trying to get all the venom out. He spat out the blood, along with the silver venom and toxicity.