Darkness Arisen

chapter Twenty-One



Alice gasped when Ian's eyes glowed red. "Oh, no! He's gone rogue—" Before she could finish stating the obvious, he hurled his mace. It crashed into the reef, shattering a chunk of it.

"No!" Jada screamed in protest. "We'll die if he destroys our home! Stop him!"

"Ian!" Alice shouted at him, but it was no use. The man he had once been was gone, replaced by a raging lunatic intent on destroying the reef. "Stop it!"

He hurled his second mace, and it took out another chunk. Alice realized grimly that they hadn't escaped destiny after all; it had come screaming after them just as it had for all the other Calydons before them. Fate decreed that Ian was destined to lose her, and he'd done exactly that when she'd banished him from her world. The result? He'd gone rogue.

And now what? She frantically tried to remember the rest of the story. After losing her, he was destined to destroy everything that mattered to either of them...which is why he was tearing apart the reef. It was her home now, the only place of respite she would have in this lonely existence.

After he finished ripping apart her world, she was supposed to kill him to stop him, and then kill herself. Seriously? After all they had been through? No way! That was patently unjust. She couldn't let that happen. Destiny wasn't going to take them.

Alice swished her hand through the water, cutting off the ocean's expulsion of Ian. It stopped shoving him away and allowed him to move as he wished, allowing him to return her. "Come back to me, Ian! I'm here now!"

Too little, too late. No longer having to fight the waves, Ian launched himself at the coral, preparing to finish it off, even over Jada's screams.

"No!" Alice called his maces to her, stripping him of his weapons. Ian roared with rage, and she could see there was no humanity in his eyes. No man. Just monster. Beast. Demon. Just as all the other Calydons over the last two thousand years had been fated to become after meeting their sheva.

Jada swam up beside him and attacked with a flash of a dagger. He flung her aside, barely even noticing her. Alice tensed, realizing that Jada might call the rest of the Mageaan. In the state he was in, they would have no chance. A thousand women would be slaughtered. Dammit! She had to stop him!

She threw one of the maces, willing it to obey her. As always, it seemed to take on a life of its own, and it slammed unerringly into his shoulder. Alice gasped with horror as Ian howled with pain, regret filling her at hurting him. "Stop it!" she screamed. "Come back to me!"

But as he charged the reef with his fists balled, she saw only deadly intent in his eyes. There was no man left to hear her.

"Ian!" Kane suddenly materialized beside her, and he swore when he saw Ian. "No way, man, not you." He sounded pissed as he called out his double-spiked flail. "Pull it together, Fitz! Now!"

At the sound of Kane's voice, Ian whirled around. His weapons jerked out of Alice's grasp and slammed into his palms. Instantly, he launched into a full attack, striking right for Kane's heart. Kane blocked the blow and leapt aside, still shouting at Ian to come back to him.

But even as Alice called to him and Kane fought him, she could see Ian was sliding further and further away into his insanity. The Order was what mattered to him, so that was what he had to destroy. His Order, her home—

Then he turned suddenly and faced her, blood-thirsty rage seething in his eyes. "You die," he said in a raspy, haunted voice. "You have to die."

"Me?" Alice scrambled backward as he came at her, apparently forgetting about his need to destroy Kane or the reef. He simply wanted to annihilate her. "But why? That's not part of the legend, is it?"

"Apparently, you're what matters most to him," Kane shouted as he tackled Ian, knocking him off course. "He has to destroy you first!"

Alice's jaw dropped open as she watched Ian hurl Kane aside and come after her again. There was no doubt that he was coming for her. Was it really because she was the most important thing in the world to him?

There was no other explanation. She was what he cared about most.

Not the way she'd dreamed of discovering a man's commitment to her, but still, there was something amazingly romantic and undeniable about a love so powerful it could turn a man insane.

And as she looked into his seething red eyes, she realized that their relationship was the most important thing to her as well. Their love was what mattered most to both of them.

Despite all the responsibility both of them had for the greater good, somehow, someway, their love had triumphed over it all. How ridiculous that she had tried to ban him from the oceans for his own good. Being together was what was best for both of them, regardless of the cost. She finally understood that nothing else mattered as much as what they shared.

Tears burned in her eyes, and she held up her arms, welcoming him as he charged her. "Oh, Ian," she said. "I love you, too." And then, for the first time ever, she truly dropped every single barrier around her heart. She'd thought she'd done it before. She'd thought she knew what love was. But suddenly, she was filled with the most amazing sense of peace, and she knew she had finally found her place.

It wasn't as a guardian angel.

It wasn't as a protector of the Order.

It wasn't as Ian's sheva.

It was simply in the arms of the man she loved, who loved her back.

This moment, this man, this love... it was what life was about.

Ian raised his mace to slam it into her heart, and she pressed her palms together, summoning all that was good and loving within her soul. The mixture of golden and white light flared brightly, like a bomb had ignited. It flashed through the ocean, blanking out everything around them. But it wasn't simply angel light. It was her love, that which she had been forbidden to feel or embrace. She unleashed it into the monster trying to take over the man she loved, cracking through the insanity attempting to steal him from her.

The white light hit Ian, and he screamed in agony. Alice utilized their bond to touch his mind, offering him all the love she had. I love you, Ian. Come back to me.

His mind was filled with thousands of images, of all the rogues he'd killed, his father dying, the gravestones of his ancestors, and then, finally, an image stayed with him. One image. Alice. Holding out her hands to him, offering him her heart.

Ian felt the strangest sensation roll through him, like a golden sun gifting him with its warmth on a cold day. Hundreds of years of suffering and torment seemed to vanish. The rage disappeared. All that remained was one image, one thing, and one vision. "Alice?"

She smiled, and he realized she was real. Not his imagination. He blinked, and suddenly the red haze affecting his sight vanished. "You're real?"

"I'm real." She flung herself at him, and he caught her, wrapping his arms around her and holding her tightly against him.

He buried his face in her hair, absorbing every facet of her being into his soul. How did you do that? How did you bring me back from rogue?

She pulled back, smiling at him with so much love in her eyes he was almost overwhelmed. "I combined my love with a little angel power. But you had to accept it in order for it to work." Her smile broadened. "And you did. I guess you do love me."

"Of course I do." He kissed her hard, savoring every touch of those lips, the taste of her tongue. Sweetheart, that was far more than a little angel power. You are way more of a badass than I ever was.

Alice chuckled, making him smile. After all they'd been through, to hear her laughter was one of the most beautiful gifts he'd ever received.

"I guess I'd have to be in order to protect a bunch of testosterone junkies who go rogue over their sweethearts," she teased.

Ian knew then that Alice had finally accepted who she was, on every level: a guardian angel, a lover, a partner, and a woman. "I love you, sweetheart."

"I know." Her smile faltered. "I guess I have to let you stay here with me, then, huh?"

"Wait." Jada swam over, the pearl still clenched in her hands. She placed it in Alice's hand. "I hereby offer you the pearl of Lycanth willingly." She closed Alice's fingers around it. "Take it, Alice. It's yours."

Alice stared at her. "But—"

Jada shook her head. "It's been hell down here, Alice. I lost hope and even my humanity a long time ago, and have been basically waiting for someone to kill me. I was envious when you killed Esmeralda. I wanted to be freed from this hell." She sighed. "When Chloe arrived here, and then was dying, it was the final blow. How could she have wound up here? How could the earth lose her? It made no sense. I had nothing left. No hope, no faith, nothing."

Alice touched her arm. "I'm sorry—"

"Don't be." Jada smiled, the first smile Ian had seen from her. He was surprised by how pretty she was. "You've given me hope again, a mission, and that is beautiful."

Alice frowned. "What do you mean?"

"During my time on earth, before I became a Mageaan, I saw many, many Calydons go rogue from the sheva bond. I thought it was unbreakable. Everyone did." Her eyes were bright with hope. "What I saw happen just now was a miracle. You used your angel power in ways that should have been impossible. Not only did you channel it into forbidden directions, but it worked, both to save Chloe and to break the sheva destiny." Determination flared in her eyes. "If you can break through your restraints, so can I, and so can the angels trapped here with me. I have to stay, Alice, until I can free every one of these women. They need me." She smiled. "And I need to help them."

Alice closed her hand around the pearl in disbelief, but she knew exactly what Jada meant. Saving Gideon and Chloe had been incredible, and she wanted to do more of it. She was so happy to hear that Jada was fighting back, that these women would resist this terrible fate they had been sentenced to.

Jada nodded at her. "Take the pearl. Go to the surface. Come back when you need something."

Ian touched Jada's arm. "And you call us whenever you need anything. Got it?"

She smiled. "Don't worry, you'll be hearing from me." She stepped back and waved them off. "Safe travels, my friends." She bowed her head in a statement of respect and honor. "Safe travels," she repeated.

And then, she turned and swam away, not into the palace, but into the ocean... no doubt in search of the fallen angels she was going to save.

Alice looked down at her hand, at the pearl that her mother had given her so long ago to free Alice from the burden of the angel rules. "I did it, Mom," she whispered. "I found my own path."

Ian hugged her close and kissed her gently. "She would be proud."

Alice looked up at him and knew he was right. "She's not disappointed in me anymore," she agreed, words that were so beautiful she wanted to cry.

Ian put his hand around her fist that held the pearl. "Accept the pearl, sweetheart, and let's go home."

She smiled and nodded, glancing behind him at Kane, who was waiting patiently to teleport them back home. "Why did you come here?" she asked him.

The warrior grinned. "Because I've got something to show you guys."

She raised her brows. "What is it?"

But Kane shook his head. "Not here. We need to go on a field trip."

Alice frowned. "But how did you know we would be able to leave?"

Kane shrugged. "Because you're one hell of a guardian angel, and I knew you wouldn't be able to stay away from all of us Order guys. We're simply too charming."

Alice laughed, and Ian slung his arm around her shoulder. "Accept the gift, Alice, and let the boy give us a ride."

She opened her hand and looked down at the pearl that was silent and inactive, with dull streaks of red and orange. "I accept the pearl," she whispered.

It immediately glowed bright white, and she felt a humming vibrate through her. There was a burst of pink mist around her, but this time, neither she nor Ian panicked. She just held onto him while they waited for it to fade.

And when it did, she was back to herself again.

Except, she wasn't back to herself. She was a thousand times the woman she'd ever been, and it was all because the man she loved had found a way to open her heart.

* * *

Ian was shocked when he materialized on a patch of dirt, and he realized they were standing on his grave.

Kane had brought the three of them to the Fitzgerald burial ground.

Ian stared down at the headstone he'd bought for himself so long ago, the one that had been ready and waiting for him to succumb to the curse. His name was etched in the dark gray marble, with only the date of his death left blank. Around him, in all directions, extended the graves of the Fitzgerald men who had died, many of them heroically. There were no bodies in those graves, because they had vanished at death. All that remained were the markers.

But in a small circle at the end of the plot lay the graves of those who had died by their own hand, who had sentenced their souls to purgatory and lost their honor.

He walked several feet to his father's grave and went down on one knee. He bowed his head. "I broke the curse, Dad. It's over. I know it's too late for you, but the Fitzgerald name will be restored."

Ian put his hand on the earth, and to his surprise, the dirt seemed to shift beneath his touch, as if his father had heard him, and his soul had sighed with relief.

Alice put her hand on his shoulder, and he entwined his fingers with hers. Suddenly, being in the cemetery didn't feel as difficult and wrenching as it used to. Alice gave him comfort. She gave him peace.

He looked up at her, and his heart tightened when she smiled down at him. It felt damn good to have her by his side.

"You guys should be in a Hallmark commercial. You're that cute."

Ian turned sharply at the sound of Thano's voice. To his shock, Thano was just behind him...riding the wizard's horse. "Thano!" He strode over to his teammate, Thano bent down, and they exchanged a hard hug. For a moment, there were no words, and then Ian finally stepped back. "Shit, man, it's good to see you. Where did you come from? How'd you get back?"

"Ryland tracked me down. The bastard interrupted my pedicure." Thano grinned, and Ian noticed how thin he looked. His eyes were sparkling with humor, but there were shadows in them that hadn't been there before. "It's good to be back. Got myself a horse. You like?" He stroked his mount's neck.

Ian rubbed the horse's nose, surprised at how soft it was. To him, Deathbringer had always been a harbinger of evil, not an animal to be patted. "You're rehabbing Deathbringer?"

"Rehabbing him? No chance. He kicks ass exactly how he is." Thano scratched the beast between the ears, like he'd adopted a damn cocker spaniel, not a war horse. "This warrior is my new partner, and his name is Apollo, because you cynical old guys need a little more Greek power on this team. Figured having a god on our side might help." Something surprisingly dark flashed through Thano's eyes, as if he were now the one with a load of hell haunting him, instead of the rest of them.

Then Thano grinned, shaking the shadows off as if they'd never been there, but Ian didn't believe it. What had happened to Thano while he'd been in Cardiff's lair?

"If Apollo decides he likes you," Thano continued, "he may allow you to bask in his greatness. Or, he might be offended and kick you in the head. You just never know."

"Sounds like your perfect match, then." Ian grinned as Apollo reached around and began to nibble on Thano's jeans. "Never knew the Order would turn into a mounted force, but I'll bet he'll be an asset." A warrior horse that could run on water, fly, and move in complete stealth? Yeah, that would work.

Ian had to admit, the horse looked good. His coat was a glossy black, and his stiff leather bridle was gone, replaced by a soft gray suede that draped gently over his nose. There was no bit in his mouth, no way to really control him, and yet he stood proudly beneath Thano.

There were black straps around Thano's thighs that almost looked like they were holding Thano in place. Ian noticed that Thano's feet were hanging limply, not gripping the horse's sides. "Shit, man, you okay?"

"Dude, this day is not about me," Thano said. "Get with the program, old man."

Ian frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"The party, of course." Thano jerked his chin, and Ian looked past him, shocked to discover that the entire Order was present. All of his team, plus their women.

The Order members were kneeling in a semi-circle, each of them holding their weapon in their right hand, while the women stood off to the left in a small group. Gideon Roarke, Quinn Masters, Elijah Ross, Zach Roderick, Gabe Watson, Ryland, and even young Drew...though Vaughn was nowhere in sight. The man was the dedicated guardian of the youth he loved like a son, yet he was absent. Still searching for Flynn, like Alice had indicated? After spending time with him over the last two months searching for Alice, Ian still felt like the man was an enigma, but he'd gotten used to having him around. He'd become almost an honorary Order member, and Ian hoped he was okay.

Thano rode Apollo to the spot beside Gideon, and then the massive beast went down on one knee with Thano still astride, the horse and rider assuming the position as a single entity.

At the top of the circle was an empty spot. Carved in the ground was an outline of a mace, exactly like Ian's weapon.

He recognized the formation immediately, and his throat tightened. "Son of a bitch," he said. "You've got to be kidding."

"What is it?" Alice moved up beside him.

"It's an induction ceremony for the Order of the Blade." Suddenly, it became hard to talk. He ran his hand through his hair. That's my weapon carved in the dirt in the vacant spot. It's for me. They're taking me back.

Alice smiled and tucked her hand in his. Of course they are. You're one of them, Ian.

He swallowed again. Walk me there.

"Of course." She took his hand and together they walked around the outside of the circle. As part of the tradition, no one said a word. They all just watched him, so many sets of eyes following him on his ascension to the summit of the circle.

When Ian reached the spot, he stopped beside the drawing of his mace in the ground, and then realized there were more markings in the dirt. Surrounding the etching of his mace were seven other weapons. The one closest to his was an axe. His father's axe. Stunned, Ian jerked his gaze to his team.

No one said a word, but Kane nodded once. A single nod to tell Ian that not only were they inducting him into the Order, but they were bringing back all his ancestors who had been banned.

"Jesus." Sweat beaded on Ian's brow, and he was too emotional to speak.

"When you killed yourself to save Alice," Gideon said, "you showed us that death by your own hand can be the most heroic, courageous, and admirable choice there is. Just as the rules regarding the automatic death for Order shevas is changing, so must that rule. Evolution is the key to survival, my friend, and you have moved us forward."

Jesus. If death by one's own hand was officially deemed an honorable death, then his ancestors' deaths would no longer be tainted. Once they were inducted back into the Order, the souls of his father and the others would finally be freed to go to the Afterlife.

Ian tipped his head back, staring at the sky, trying to regain his composure. His father's soul would be restored. Shit. He'd never thought it could happen, but it had. Centuries of guilt over his father's fate finally released him, liberating him from the choices he'd made so long ago. I love you, Dad.

He fought against the tightness in his throat, staring into the bright blue sky. It was vibrant and filled with puffy white clouds, just like the day he and Alice had been in the boat. One cloud floated across his view. He grinned and pointed at it. "Alice, it's a poodle."

She looked up and then laughed. "My mom must approve of you," she said. She raised her hand in a salute to the sky. "Love you, too, Mom."

Ian laughed softly as he tightened his grip on her hand. He was looking at poodles in the sky when he was on the cusp of restoring his family's honor? Yeah, he was. He grinned at Alice, who was smiling back at him, love and pride shining in her eyes. Yeah, he was, and that was exactly how it should be. I'm glad you're here to share this moment with me.

Me, too. So glad. She squeezed his hand, and he knew that he had finally found his place.

"Let's get a move on," Thano said. "Ry's got a date to find a missing angel of death, and he won't stay here long."

Ian looked over at Ryland. He was wearing a black sweatshirt, with the hood pulled low over his forehead. But even that didn't hide the seething darkness in the warrior. Ry was almost out of time, and everyone there knew it. Good luck, Ry.

The warrior didn't move, but Ian felt him touch his mind. Take care of her, Fitz. She's a good one.

I know. Ian looked over at Alice, who had slipped away from him to stand by the other shevas. As she approached them, a woman Ian didn't recognize reached out and embraced her warmly. Kane's sheva, Sarah? The angel of hope? He smiled when Sarah tucked her arm through Alice's, welcoming her into the incredible group of women who had aligned themselves with the Order. First Grace, then Lily, then Ana, then Sarah... and now Alice. His woman. He grinned. It was right.

"Hey!" Thano waved his weapon. "You want back in or what?"

Ian returned his attention to the team surrounding him, and felt the most immense sense of peace. "Yeah, I do." Then he went down on one knee, and the ceremony began.