Seducing Destiny (Brothers of Fate Book 2) Read online

  “Maybe it should be my decision what is and isn’t enough. You sat there and prodded me. Feeding me names. Nudging me, to see how I’d respond to stories about your past.”

  “That’s not what I was doing.” Or maybe it had been. “I wanted you to know who I was. And if it’s true, if you’re them, I need to figure out how to stop this from happening again.” He kept his voice firm.

  “I’m not them.” She clenched her fists. “I’m me! I refuse to be a walking memory, so you have something to cling to rather than move on with life. So your fucked up associates have another ghost to hunt down. You want to know how to keep me safe? Stay away from me. Maybe they’d have lived to see forty if you’d done that.”

  “You have the birthmark, don’t you?”

  She rolled her eyes, jerked up the hem of her shirt, and tugged down the waistband of her jeans. A splotch of a crow glared back at him, distinct against her pale skin. “Really? That’s what you care about right now? Do you even like me, or do you just see shadows of your past every time you look at me?”

  “That’s not a fair statement.” Now probably also wasn’t the time to argue the logistics of reincarnation with her and point out she was them, even if she had a different face, name, and childhood. “I was attracted to you before I knew. While you were a stranger in a coffee shop, not a mysterious link to the gods.”

  She didn’t want to hear reason. “I’m done with this bullshit.” She backed toward the door. “With hiding and whimpering and waiting for you to find a way for me to be safe. Seems to me the safest place I can be is where you’re not.”

  The words burrowed deep, slicing at his core. She had a good point. “I shouldn’t have brought you here, but you can’t go home. It’s not safe.”

  “I don’t have a home, remember?” Hysteria surged into her question. “Some psychopathic bitch who thinks I’m part of an ancient prophecy blew it up.”

  Right. “I mean you can’t just go wandering out into the streets.”

  “I won’t. I’m calling a cab and checking myself into a hotel long enough to figure out where to go next, but with any luck, not long enough for any of them to get hurt because I’m there. I need to be anywhere that’s not near you. Someplace they can’t find me until they realize I’m not a part of this.”

  Was it really that simple? He hated to think so, but if she wasn’t a part of his life, his fate wouldn’t impact her. “You’re right.”

  Her shoulders slumped, though fury still spilled from her. “Of course I am.”

  He nodded toward the door, hating what he was about to say. It was the best way to do this, though. He hadn’t known with Sayuri or Elizabeth, but he’d been selfish with Grace, thinking he could hide the truth from her and keep her to himself. Letting Luci leave was the only solution. “I won’t look for you. We’ll do whatever we can to keep Morrigan away from you. Go live your life.”

  She worked her jaw up and down, shook her head, and spun away. Seconds later his front door slammed shut, rattling the entire house.

  He dropped back onto the bed with a grunt. Every inch of him ached over watching her walk out. From her perspective, he barely knew her, but that wasn’t true. He’d already lived three lifetimes for Luci.

  This was the best solution, though. The only way to keep it from happening again. He lay there, replaying everything in his head, as the sun crept into the sky and light spread across the room. Empty longing grew inside. Emotions he’d locked away ages ago and never intended to let free again played on an endless loop in his head.

  He bolted straight up. Fuck, he shouldn’t have let her leave. Morrigan already went after her once, and that was before Blake had any idea who Luci was. Even if Luci never forgave him, he wasn’t going to let this happen again. He’d move heaven and earth to save her. He sprinted to his study and grabbed his phone.

  “What’s up?” Eli picked up the other end.

  “How long to tell me if Luci’s used her credit card to check into a local hotel today?”

  “Ten minutes, tops. You let her leave?”

  “‘Let’ is a strong word. Call me back when you have an address.”

  Blake paced. A million solutions jockeyed for his attention, each discarded as quickly as it formed. He needed to get to Luci now.

  *

  Luci sat at the desk in her hotel room, staring at the wall. Take a flight back to Utah or rent a car? Either way, she would be paying for this unexpected trip for a few months. She’d better find work as soon as she got back. And a new place to live. The deposit on another apartment wouldn’t be cheap either.

  She used her irritation with Blake to suppress an onslaught of memories that weren’t hers, but her resolve grew weaker with each new image that slipped through the cracks. She wanted to hate Blake for lying to her, but she understood his reasons. ‘Hey, you might be the fourth reincarnation of my dead wife,’ wasn’t exactly casual conversation.

  Or she was just getting sucked into someone else’s life too quickly, and was guilty of the same thing she’d accused him of—seeing his past instead of her present. The longer she thought about it, though, the more she realized it wasn’t that simple. Grace, Sayuri, and Elizabeth weren’t separate people; they were all her. They knew things about Blake, and now she did too. They’d fallen for him, and she could see why.

  A pit echoed inside her and resonated with a painful combination of longing and realization. She’d loved him, more than once. It pinged in her chest and twitched in her fingers and filled her thoughts. And she wanted to find that again. Was it possible? Marley had gained immortality. Maybe all Luci needed to do was stay alive long enough for that to happen. Death obviously wasn’t the right course in her case, but survival might be.

  She should call Blake. Or maybe she should wait until she was back in Utah. The distance would give them time to know each other.

  “Boo,” a female voice said in her ear.

  Luci jumped to her feet and whirled, heart hammering in her chest. Her pulse increased several more notches when she saw Morrigan standing in front of her, a smirk on her face.

  “How’d you shake the bodyguard?” Morrigan asked.

  Luci tried to swallow past her fear and couldn’t. “I left.” She finally managed to speak. If she could convince Morrigan she didn’t care about Blake, would the goddess leave her alone?

  “Aww...” Morrigan gave her an exaggerated pout. “Lovers’ spat?”

  “We’re not lovers.” Luci dredged up more resolve. “We’re not anything.”

  “See, that’s where you’re wrong. You may have convinced yourself of that, but your heart knows otherwise.”

  “How do you know?”

  Morrigan stepped closer, mouth hovering near Luci’s ear. “A goddess can tell.” She pulled away again and studied Luci. “The question is, what’s it going to take to keep you from coming back again?”

  “Not killing me?” Luci needed a weapon. She didn’t know if it would do her any good, but trying to figure out what she could grab made her feel better. “Let me life a long, fruitful life away from all of you, and destiny will be done with me forever?”

  “No. I don’t think that’s the answer.” Morrigan’s smirk grew, until she showed teeth. “Nice try, though. I’m looking for something a little more immediately permanent.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Morrigan never turned her attention completely from Luci, as she wandered the room. “How long do you think it will take Helblindi to get here?” The goddess’s voice was sing-songy, set to a rhythm Luci couldn’t hear.

  “Blake’s not coming for me.” Even as she said it, Luci realized exactly how true it was. Why did she walk away from what little security she had?

  Because this wasn’t supposed to happen if she left.

  “Oh, Lovely… That’s what he calls you, right? Lovely Luci? He’s coming.” Morrigan picked the remote from the nightstand, turned it over in her hands, then whirled and threw it.

  It flew at high-velocity
toward Luci’s head, and Luci ducked just in time to hear it whistle past her ear. This was worse than being killed instantly. Or maybe it wasn’t. This was different from every time in the past—she remembered that. Morrigan had never talked before. Was this how she kept Luci from ever coming back? Maybe Morrigan intended to talk her to death this time.

  “He’ll always come for you, Lovely.” Morrigan picked through the far end of the room, ruffling her fingers over the curtains and glancing out the window. “That’s why I need to figure out how to stop you from coming back. You’re his obsession. As long as you keep showing up, he’ll keep pursuing you. Even the first time, he mourned you for over a century.”

  The idea warmed Luci more than she wanted it to. “Why do you care?”

  “Hmm...” Morrigan tapped her chin. “Because I don’t like him. That’s strictly personal.”

  “So you keep killing me?” Luci’s fingers brushed something smooth and cold. The phone. Would clocking this madwoman in the head buy Luci even a few seconds? She was willing to find out. She inched her fingers over the device, a few millimeters more every time Morrigan turned away.

  “Oh, that. No. I keep killing you in front of him because I don’t like him. That’s why you’re still alive right now. But you’re in more than one fate, Lovely. You’re destined to be my downfall, and the idea anyone is capable of replacing me is a load of horseshit. I’m not going anywhere, but you are until you stay dead.”

  “It must suck to be you.” Luci meant the bold words to be a distracting taunt, but something about them rang deeper. What would it be like to spend an eternity always looking over her shoulder, wondering when her life would end? Maybe she didn’t want immortality after all.

  “It doesn’t.” Morrigan wiggled her fingers in the air, and the phone was wrenched from Luci’s hand. It slammed into the far wall with a sickening clang and left a dent in the plaster. Pieces of plastic clattered to the ground.

  Luci stretched her fingers, panic surging back again. Morrigan had to be wrong. Blake didn’t know where she was and wasn’t coming for her. That meant she was safe until Morrigan got bored and offed her anyway. Instinct told her that was a very imminent possibility. Luci gripped the back of the chair next to her. Could she use that as a club?

  Morrigan’s mouth stretched into an exaggerated yawn. “The problem with waiting for someone who can’t move quickly is not knowing if he’s on his way and just slow or if we’re going to be here all afternoon.”

  “You can leave. I won’t mind.” Luci tried to keep her tone light, but terror gripped more of her thoughts every minute. She remembered what it was like to be torn apart by Morrigan’s magic and wanted very much for it to not happen again. Her heart hammered in her chest, and her stomach turned in on itself.

  “Nah.” Morrigan perched on the edge of the bed and crossed her legs at the knee. “We’ll give him thirty more minutes, and then I’ll just obliterate every last inch of you. Or maybe only ten. I have other things to accomplish this year.”

  Luci tightened her grip on the chair, forced all her strength into her arms, and swung. The furniture shattered before it reached Morrigan. Splinters bigger than Luci’s forearm flew at Luci, some slicing her skin, and others slamming into her bones and bruising.

  “Or we’ll do it now.” Morrigan stood, brushed invisible dust from her clothing, and stalked toward Luci.

  Shit. Panic, fear, and the distinct desire to live at least a few more years spilled through Luci. She threw a wild punch, and Morrigan knocked her hand aside. Luci stepped back, but the desk was in the way. What was she supposed to do now?

  “I never figured out what he likes about you.” Morrigan’s sing-song voice returned. She drew a line in the air, following the curve of Luci’s neck. Though Morrigan never made contact, Luci felt the skin slice and warm blood trickle down. “You’ve always been odd.” Morrigan continued a downward path, and a tear split Luci’s shirt above her right breast. This time she saw the ugly red gash appear. “You’re fat. You’re boring. You’re whiny.” She dragged her nail past the waistband of Luci’s jeans and over her hip.

  Luci couldn’t hold back her scream, as the cut sliced through denim and her birthmark. Her legs threatened to give out from the pain.

  “And you’re not suited to wear my mark,” Morrigan said, “let alone take my place.”

  *

  Blake heard Luci scream halfway down the hall, and his sprint turned into a flat run. He slammed through the hotel door in time to see her drop to her knees, red splattered around her.

  Morrigan spun with a smirk. “You took yo—” Her taunt ended in a gurgle when Blake pinned her to wall by the throat. He summoned his power from within and forced it out. His gift was unique among gods. No one else but Marley had the ability to stop another immortal from accessing their power, and unlike in the past, he had enough warning and experience to keep Morrigan incapacitated. As long as he held her in place, she couldn’t do anything.

  The problem was, neither could he. She wasn’t mortal like this, just powerless.

  “You’re here.” Morrigan’s voice held too much glee.

  Blake wanted to check on Luci. To see if she was all right and to figure out how to stop the bleeding. But if he let his attention shift for even a moment, he and Luci were both fucked.

  “Stalemate,” Morrigan said, her tone taunting. “What are you going to do now?”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Blake lifted Morrigan off the ground by the throat, hoping to find enough leverage to cut off her air and stop her babbling. She didn’t need oxygen to survive, but she did need it to talk. He couldn’t squeeze her windpipe tighter, though. Her energy pushed against his. Mentally, he shoved back. He was vaguely aware of Luci climbing to her feet, but he didn’t dare give her more than the barest recognition.

  He summoned more from within, pushing harder against Morrigan. This wouldn’t happen again. He wouldn’t let it. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Luci stumble toward the bed.

  A surge slammed into him and threw him back from Morrigan. The goddess dropped softly to her toes, grin sliding back onto her face. The expression vanished when Luci brought a framed print down on her head. Glass shattered, dropping in shards around Morrigan. She snarled, whirled toward Luci, and flung her into a far wall. Luci landed with a loud slap. A crack rent the air, and she screamed as her arm snapped to an unnatural angle. The cuts on Morrigan’s scalp were already healing.

  Blake reached inside and grabbed everything he had. He pushed it all toward Morrigan in a single burst, building a bubble of helplessness around her. He dragged up the last bits of what he had and then scraped further for more. He poured every bit of power he’d ever known into keeping Morrigan from accessing her own.

  Her smugness vanished, and she dropped to her knees. The cuts in her head re-opened, and blood flowed freely. Still he pushed harder. He wouldn’t let Luci die. He refused to. Pain seared his veins, burning through his muscles, ravaging his joints, and he forced out more energy.

  The edges of his vision blurred and then grew black. Spots danced in front of his eyes. He was vaguely aware of someone screaming. His name maybe. He wasn’t sure. Morrigan collapsed on the floor, and the persistent glow of her aura vanished.

  Blake’s world went dark.

  *

  Luci cradled her arm to her side and bit the inside of her cheek to keep from screaming. Blake and Morrigan both lay on the floor, unmoving. The cuts on Morrigan’s scalp had reopened, and blood matted her hair. They needed to leave before the goddess woke up, but Luci had trouble standing. There was no way she could drag Blake out of there. She pulled herself onto the bed, doing her best to avoid broken glass and wood, grabbed her phone, and dialed Marley’s number.

  “Hello?” a tentative voice answered.

  “We need help.” At least talking didn’t hurt. She gave a brief rundown of what had happened.

  “Shit. We’ll be right there,” Marley said.

  Luci slumped b
ack against the wall, exhaustion flowing through her. Every movement hurt, and she didn’t dare take her eyes off the bodies on the floor. It felt like an eternity before her doorknob rattled, but was only a few minutes according to her phone. Seconds later, a jolt bounced off her eardrums and the door swung open. When Marley and Eli rushed into the room, Luci let out a breath she didn’t know she held, and let the pain muddy the edges of her vision.

  The scene around her passed in a blur. Eli was on the phone, barking orders for cleanup and containment. Marley knelt next to Blake and then was by Luci’s side. Someone else appeared in the middle of the room and vanished just as quickly, taking Morrigan with them.

  “Hey.” Marley nudged her leg. “Look at me.”

  Luci forced herself to focus on the other woman’s face. “Is he...?” Dead wasn’t the right word. Gods didn’t die. Except he’d said they could. That was part of the legends.

  “Mortal.” The syllables rolled off Marley’s tongue, but they didn’t make sense.

  Blake groaned, and Eli helped him sit.

  “I... What?” Luci stared at Marley, looking for some indication this was a joke.

  “Let me see your arm.” Eli rested his palm on her shoulder.

  A frantic dance of sparks raced through the limb, until she thought her head might burst in a tower of sparks. The pain amplified and then vanished. She gasped at the contrasting sensations.

  Blake rubbed his face and wobbled to his feet.

  “Better?” Eli asked.

  Luci nodded. She wanted to ask what he’d done, but she needed to know something else first. She looked at Marley. “Go back to what you said.”

  Blake joined them on the bed, despite how crowded it had grown, and flopped onto his back next to Luci. “She said mortal.”

  “Take it from someone who knows,” Marley said. “Never think you can guess what the legends actually mean, until they play out.”