Darkness Arisen

chapter Seven



Ian swore as the Mageaan sucked them into her gaping mouth. What the hell was he doing, letting them be taken? But even as he questioned it, he didn't strike. There had been an urgency in Alice's voice that had touched him, and he'd instantly backed off, her will somehow able to affect his own.

But as he watched the teeth coming down toward their heads, he had a bad feeling about it. This feels like one of those rash decisions I'm going to regret later, he muttered as the darkness closed down around them. Well, darkness except for the few thousand glittering fangs that lined the mouth of the creature.

She's an angel, Alice said.

Yeah, I got that. So? Does that mean she's not a meat eater? 'Cause I'm feeling like she is.

It means we have to believe in her. In them. No one ever believes in them anymore.

Well, I can see why. Adrenaline burned through him as the Mageaan's mouth continued to close. He tightened his grip on his mace as he rapidly calculated the seconds until the poisonous fangs made contact. He might give Alice the leeway of trusting the Mageaan, somewhat, but he wasn't going to let it get to the point of risking actual death. Those fangs weren't going to get to the point of no return, end of story.

Closer and closer they came. Alice was staring at them, her chin lifted and her throat exposed, as if she were trying to communicate her complete willingness to surrender to their mercy. But the secure hold she had on his neck told him she wasn't quite as convinced as she wanted to pretend.

Ian raised his mace as the teeth descended. "Don't do it," he warned it, his voice carrying through the water. "Just don't do it."

Alice gripped his arm. Ian. Have faith.

I have no faith, sweetheart. I'm fresh out. But he didn't strike. He still had time. He could take it down with one blow. Something about Alice's unwavering faith made him want to believe. She made him want to see that there was some good in this hellish existence and crazy world.

"You stole the pearl," Alice shouted into the water, the ocean swallowing up her voice. "It won't work for you. It has to be freely given by one angel to another. What do you really want? Are you really a monster, or do you want more?"

The teeth stopped descending. Two fangs pressed against the side of Ian's temple, and hundreds more were suspended a fraction of an inch from Alice's exposed throat.

Ian raised his mace, muscles straining with readiness for a sudden attack. One breath. One ripple from the ocean. One millimeter further with the fangs, and he would strike it down. "Give the girl a chance to be right," he said. "Make a good choice, or death will be your next date."

Ian. Be nice. Alice was still in his arms, but her fingers were digging into his neck, and he could feel her heart racing against his chest.

You want me to be nice? I have a fang in need of some serious fluoride and breath mints digging into my temple. I think I'm being incredibly tolerant and charming given the situation. "Back the f*ck off," he warned again. "Despite my boyish good looks, I'm really not that nice of a guy." The creature didn't back off, but it didn't go for the jugular either. It was poised and waiting, as if trying to decide whether this snack would go right to the hips or whether it would be worth it for the pure enjoyment of crushing some skulls.

"Time is almost up," Ian gritted out, readiness humming through every cell of his being. "Leave the party, or we're going to do some serious dancing with you."

For another long second, there was no response, and then suddenly, the thing simply dissolved into white mist.

The sudden influx of vapor obscured Ian's vision completely within milliseconds, cutting him off from being able to see or defend. Shit! He opened his preternatural senses, sending energy waves into the white foam, immediately locating every creature that was around them. He knew precisely where each one was. He could hear the beating of their hearts. He could feel the darkness of their energy swirling around them.

And he could tell that not one of them was moving into an attack position, despite the fact that he'd just been momentarily blinded. They were close, too close for any kind of comfort, but they weren't lining up for the final attack. Was Alice right? Was it over?

Then the mist dissolved, giving him a full view of what lay before them, and he knew that it had all just begun.

* * *

The sight that greeted Alice when the mist dissolved was not in the top ten of "things she wanted to see before she died."

Apparently, the news of their arrival had gone out, and then some. The welcoming party had just gone from dangerously intimate to a public free-for-all with the potential for really bad fallout. There were dozens of Mageaan encircling them, women who seemed to be mere ghosts, slivers of white mist floating in the ocean.

Alice and Ian had stopped their downward descent. They were now standing on the edge of a vibrant pink and turquoise coral reef that seemed to glow from within, casting light out into the dark water. Alice instinctively sucked in her breath, then stopped in shock when she felt the ocean water slide harmlessly through her lungs. I'm breathing under water.

Me too. I'd comment that it's a pretty handy development for us, but given our situation, I'm thinking maybe we shouldn't be so quick to rejoice. Gifts come with a price. Keeping Alice locked against him, he spun them slowly in a circle, his mace still out as he surveyed their situation.

There were Mageaan on all sides of them, including above and below. There wasn't even a small patch of green ocean. Just white, misty figures encircling them. They weren't armed, but she and Ian had already experienced how quickly that could change.

She gripped Ian, not daring to let him go, knowing she had no tools to protect herself against them. Could you stop all of them?

Yeah, no problem. A hundred to one odds are totally in my favor. He raised his mace. But I might need both my hands this time. If I need to go to battle, find a place to hide in the coral 'til I'm done.

She wanted to look at him to see if he was serious, but before she could turn her head, the Mageaan directly in front of them parted. Their ethereal bodies eased to the sides, opening a pathway between them.

Gliding down the channel were two Mageaan. They were identical, both of them tall and lean. Their aqua-colored hair was streaming out behind them. They were not the pure white mist of the others. Instead, their bodies had a faint blue tint, as if they were glowing. Their breasts were covered by what looked like a crisscross harness of seaweed that matched the elbow-length dark gloves that were their only clothes. Their lower bodies seamlessly transitioned into a scaled tail that glittered even deep under water. They were so lean and fleshless, so devoid of shapely curves, it was as if their very essences as women were slowly dying.

As they passed by the legions of white misty women, the other Mageaan bowed low, prostrating themselves to those who were clearly their leaders.

Alice stood taller as they neared, and Ian moved slightly in front of her, keeping his shoulder between her and the approaching women.

The women floated to a stop just above them, looking down at Ian and Alice in a clear statement of who was in charge: the ocean dwellers, not those from the land above. Their faces were angular and defined, giving them a look of ancient royalty, haughty and brutal. "Who are you?" They asked the question in unison, two voices mingling in the water.

Ian answered for them. "My name is Ian Fitzgerald, Order of the Blade," claiming allegiance to the organization that Alice knew had cut him out. Habit? Or did he not consider himself divested of his role? "Who are you?" he asked sharply. He made it clear he wasn't deferring to them, his voice demanding their response.

Now that the leaders were closer, Alice could see slight differences between them. One of them had delicate red streaks in her hair, and her eyes were a brilliant blue. The other's hair was simply turquoise and green, and her eyes were a bottomless gold that seemed to glitter from within.

The one with the red streaks raised her eyebrows, giving an almost flirtatious look at Ian that made Alice want to be the one to claim him. "We are the Empresses of the Underworld," she said haughtily, her tone making it clear she was answering his question only because it suited her. "To you, we are simply Your Majesties. You have not earned our names."

Ian didn't back down. "The tattoo across your throat says Jada, and hers says Esmeralda. I assume those are your names?"

Jada hissed and bared her fingers, as if claws were about to burst free.

Alice took a step back. Don't make them mad, she advised Ian. We need their help. Their names are tattooed on them so they don't forget who they are. They lose their humanity with each passing day in exile. No one is allowed to say their names anymore. They are no longer individuals.

"I have not heard my name in too long," Esmeralda said, her voice soft with awe. She was not the one who had first spoken. "Say it again. I want to hear it."

Ian met her gaze. "Your Majesty, Esmeralda is the name of royalty. It befits you."

She preened under his attention, and Alice stiffened. It couldn't be a good thing to have the leaders of the Mageaan looking at Ian as if he were dessert, because they could turn him into that with a snap of their tainted fingers. They might be fallen angels, but their powers were considerable, only they were now twisted and deadly, morphed into hate and pain.

The leaders circled closer, their hair wafting around their heads like the halos they no longer deserved to wear. "You are a strong warrior, are you not?" Again, they spoke together, two voices as one, though it was clear that Jada was the one whose thoughts they were voicing, because only her mouth was moving.

Ian didn't hesitate. "I am."

Alice almost laughed at his arrogance, but at the same time, she was a little jealous. Do you sell that self-confidence by the case?

He glanced at her, and she felt his surprise. You're willing to dive off a rock into murderous ocean after a pearl, with no way to protect yourself, and you think I'm the one with self-confidence? Sweetheart, you're a hell of a warrior.

She was startled by his assessment, but at the same time, it felt good. Really good. Even if he was wrong, it still was amazing to have someone look at her like she was worth something.

He narrowed his eyes. You don't think you're worth anything? You're an angel, Alice. How is that not worthy?

I'm a really bad one, she admitted.

Ian raised his brows. A bad angel? Sweetheart, men dream of having one night with a bad angel.

Heat flushed her cheeks, and she glared at him. Sex? You're turning this into a sexual tease? I was serious.

I know. That was my awkward guy-attempt to table the conversation until I could give it the attention it deserved. I'm pretty focused right now on the fact that these two slightly bitter ex-angels are getting closer to us than I want them to. He shrugged apologetically. Just so you know, I'm warning you now that I'm probably going to suck at the male-female relationship thing.

She almost laughed at his comment, so self-deprecating coming from a deadly warrior, but there was a sudden surge in the current that pulled her attention back to their surroundings.

Esmeralda was swimming down toward them, making a slow circle around them. Ian turned with her, his mace still ready. He kept Alice behind him the whole time, making it clear that he was ready to defend her, and that he was not at their mercy.

The Mageaan clucked her teeth, her golden eyes bright with interest. Her eyes and hair were the only strong color she carried, as if they were the last things that were going to fade into oblivion. The legions of women surrounding them had pale blue eyes and white hair, and their names had faded into dark, illegible scrawls across their chests. Were Esmeralda and Jada more powerful, or were they simply newer and therefore still able to retain some connection to their humanity?

"You will suffice, warrior." Again, with the two voices, even though it was clear that it was Esmeralda's sentiment that was being voiced. She looked at Alice. "We accept him as your sacrifice. You may live."

"Sacrifice?" Alice immediately moved in front of him. "I'm not offering him—"

"No." Ian's voice was hard and instant, yanking Alice back behind him so he could block her with his body, even though he was the one they wanted to hurt. Hello? Didn't he realize that they'd just said they wouldn't hurt her? "I belong to her, and no one else. I do not leave her side. Ever."

Oh... how sweet was that? Excitement trilled through Alice at his words, and she had a crazy urge to smile. Yes, her response was slightly insane given their current situation, but it wasn't every day that a man who other women envied publicly aligned himself with her. Or even a man that other women didn't envy. Or, quite frankly, even a mold infested mushroom. The list of people who had hoisted pompoms on her behalf was depressingly short, especially given that her angel status should normally come with some amount of built-in popularity.

Anger flashed in Esmeralda's golden eyes. "You are not in control down here, warrior. This is not your world."

"Everywhere I am is my world," he snapped back.

Damn, Alice wanted to live life that confidently. It must be so cool! Not that it would be helpful if he catapulted them into a war with the Mageaan, of course. Admirable, but not helpful. He was a man in a woman's world right now, and he wasn't adjusting well.

Alice put her hand on his arm, trying to defuse the growing tension. Ian. We need their help. They're the ones who could take us to Warwick, if they choose. Remember? Let me deal with them. They were once angels, which means I have a connection to them. They were actually so much more similar to her than anyone knew. Anyone but Catherine.

Her heart tightened at the thought of the woman who meant so much to her. She had to find a way out of this situation. Catherine was counting on her. Let me handle this, Ian. She couldn't keep the urgency out of her voice. Please.

Ian looked at her sharply, and she saw his mind rapidly assessing the situation. He didn't lower his weapon, but he gave her a slight nod, turning the negotiation over to her. I'll cover you. Go.

Alice immediately moved up beside Ian, relieved when he didn't try to shove his manly shoulder in front of her again. Not that she didn't appreciate his shoulder, but this was a time for estrogen not testosterone. "My name is Alice Shaw. I brought you a pearl of Lycanth to exchange for your help. That is my offer. Not the warrior."

Jada swam down toward her and held out her hand, the red sections in her hair looking like streaks of fresh blood. And maybe it was. Who knew where the leaders had been before showing up for the apparent town meeting? "Let me see the pearl."

Alice grimaced. "I lost—"

Triumph flashed in the Mageaan's eyes, and Ian's voice breathed through her mind. They have it. I can feel their deception.

Alice narrowed her eyes at Ian's revelation. Seriously? They'd had it the whole time? Of course they had. They owned the ocean, didn't they? "You already have it," she snapped. "You stole it from me with the wind, but you can do nothing with it unless I offer it to you." She held out her hand. "Give it back to me. Now."

For a long moment, neither of the women moved, then finally, Jada swam closer. She laughed softly, her voice a melodic beauty in the dark water. "Of course we have it. You foolishly lost it. Speak the words to offer it to us willingly, and we may allow you and the warrior to exit alive."

Ian touched Alice's hand. I can get us out alive. We don't have to bargain for our safety. Negotiate for their help to find Warwick.

Alice glanced at him. There are hundreds of them now, and they're really not that nice when they decide to murder you.

He raised his brows. I'm not that nice when someone tries to kill me, so it'll be a fair fight.

Alice tried again, wanting him to understand the nature of the enemy. You've heard to beware of scorned women? Well, these women have been scorned, stripped of their identity and their femininity, and left to rot away beneath the sea. Trust me when I say that you've never run into the likes of them.

They've never run into the likes of me. Ian shrugged. I'm good.

His confidence was so evident that Alice almost believed him. He had, after all, fought for the Order for hundreds of years. A man didn't survive that by luck. You're sure?

His intense conviction rolled through her. If I die, I fail my family's honor and leave you unprotected. Seeing as how I won't allow that to happen under any circumstances, the answer is yeah, I'm sure. Get it done, and I'll back you up.

She grinned, a foreign sensation of freedom filling her. She'd spent her life on the run, hiding from herself, avoiding any kind of conflict that would draw her into actions meant to destroy her. She'd always felt powerless...until now. Until this deadly warrior's offer had given her the freedom to finally stand up for what she wanted.

She'd never had an ally before, but it certainly made things easier. She might be an all-powerful (hah!) angel, but that meant she had no offensive skills. Apparently, an angel wasn't supposed to be murdered by an evil wizard and then chased by death until she ran out of lives. Angels weren't supposed to need to defend themselves, and even if they did, they weren't supposed to inflict harm. Taking one for the team wasn't so appealing when you were actually facing death.

But now? Different rules. She had a warrior at her back, and she was going to take advantage. Rolling in a sense of confidence she'd never had the luxury of enjoying, Alice set her hands on her hips and eyed the Mageaan. "Thanks, but we're going to leave alive anyway. The question is whether you get the pearl or not—"

Ian swore suddenly and whirled around, his mace slicing through the air. There was a furious hiss, like steam had been released from the bowels of the earth. Alice turned just as his mace made contact with a Mageaan who had snuck up behind them. His assailant screamed as his weapon cracked into her chest, and she went tumbling down into the ocean depths, her arms held out beseechingly as she fell. Deep purple blood poured from a wound in her chest as her head fell back in the agony of death.

"No!" Alice covered her mouth in horror as the woman's tail faded to a deadly gray and then split, turning into deformed legs too human to ignore as she reverted back into the decayed human form that remained of who she'd once been. "You killed her!" Alice gaped in horror at Ian, the angel's death feeling like a knife in her own heart. "You killed an angel?"

He stared at her, his brow furrowed in confusion even as he reached behind him, feeling his lower back. "Well, yeah, of course I did. She was trying to kill you. Wasn't that what our entire conversation was about when you asked me if I could take them all on?"

God, yes, she knew it was, but it was different to see an angel die. It was too personal, too real, too close to home. "Yes, but—"

The dying Mageaan screamed, her ashen fingers stretching toward Alice. "Save me—"

"I can't!" Tears filled Alice's eyes, her entire soul burning with the need to save the woman. She felt her death in every fiber of her being, and it tore at her very soul.

Beside her, Ian suddenly went down to his knees, swearing violently. In the middle of his lower back, right where his kidney would be, the handle of a massive dagger was sticking out of his flesh. His fingers were splayed around it, as if he'd tried to pull it out and caused more damage instead.

"Ian!" Alice stared in horror as dark red blood flowed from his wound, mixing with the water around them. Suddenly, reality came crashing down around her. His fatal strike didn't make him a monster. It had been self-defense against a creature who was so far from humanity that there could be no mercy. Not anymore. No matter what she'd been before.

"I'm fine. My fault for not assuming they'd strike before the negotiations were over." He swore and jerked the blade out of his back in one swift move, swearing as the twelve-inch serrated blade slid out of his body, ripping organs and flesh as he removed it.

Alice's stomach turned as she stared at it, horrified by what had happened to him. How could someone who had once been an angel do that to another living creature? Striking to kill in cold blood, against a man who had made no offensive move or threat? Was that her future? Was that what she would become?

He lunged to his feet, a mace clenched in each hand. "You just broke the rules of engagement," he said with a snarl.

Esmeralda hissed, her golden eyes glowing. "You killed one of us!" she shrieked in outrage. With a swift movement, she slashed her hand through the sea, drawing a symbol in the water.

"No!" Jada shouted, lunging for Esmeralda, but before she could reach her, the ocean erupted as the Mageaan attacked, swarming in from all sides, claws bared, their faces contorted like they had become the very demons they once protected against.

Ian swore and shoved Alice into a crack in the coral reef, and then he launched into a full-scale assault. For a moment, she was mesmerized as he fought, stunned by his sheer raw strength, by the way his body coiled and then released with lightning-fast speed. Even in the water, he was incredibly agile, thousands of times faster than the Mageaan.

And then the sea creatures changed.

There was a low rumble, like the ocean floor was rolling over in its sleep, and suddenly the Mageaan shifted from white to black and purple. They shrieked with murderous intent, darting in and out like assault weapons, attacking and retreating before Ian could strike them. Poison leaked from their bodies, staining the water like giant squid on a mission to kill.

Aghast at the carnage and the brutality of the sea creatures, Alice watched them fall to Ian's mace, one by one, screaming as they returned to their human bodies at the moment of death. Only then, did they seem to regain their souls, reaching for Alice, begging her for help as they tumbled into the ocean's depths.

Guilt and horror filled Alice as she stood there, doing nothing to save them, like some cruel, heartless bitch. Unable to save them. Unable to do a single thing to save these women who had once been angels.

More and more cuts appeared on Ian's flesh, and as many Mageaan as he took out, more seemed to come. Hundreds? Thousands? The attack was so violent the water began to foam, filled with purple and red bubbles tainted by the blood of all those who were fighting, until Alice couldn't even see Ian anymore. Ian!

Stay where you are, sweetheart. I got this covered— A grunt of pain from him interrupted his response, and she felt searing pain erupt from him before he blocked their connection.

Frantic, she looked around for something, anything to help him.

"How long do you really think he can last?"

Alice looked up to see the two leaders peering down at her, hovering just outside the entrance to her hiding place. "As long as he needs to," she retorted, praying she was right.

"Will he?" They moved closer. "And what do you think will happen to him if you start getting attacked? How can he save you and himself? Not so easy."

Alice frantically looked past them, but she couldn't see anything except the bubbly foam.

"Offer us the pearl," Jada spoke, but once again, both of their voices were in the air. "Then you may live—"

A loud scream rent the ocean, and both leaders spun around, shrieking simultaneously as another wraith fell to Ian's blade, a clamshell dagger still clenched in her hand. "No!" The leaders rushed toward her, sweeping her up in their arms as the black specter began to transition back into a person.

It was a woman. A young woman. Maybe twenty, at best. Her body was flesh-colored, her curves real and womanly, indicating that she was a new arrival. Hours? Days? Not much longer than that. Not someone who should be in a battle. Not someone who should be condemned to a life of exile and disintegration. She was a girl who should have been dancing on the earth with flowers in her hair.

"Oh, no." Alice held her hand to her mouth as the leaders scooped the woman up, cradling her against their chests as they rushed back toward Alice.

"Save her," they screamed as they laid her at Alice's feet. "Save her now!"

The young woman looked up at Alice, her magenta eyes glazed with pain. There was so much pain in her face, and so much anguish. "I didn't want to fight him," she gasped. "I'm sorry."

"You were forced to fight him?" When the woman nodded, Alice realized that the young woman had somehow retained her humanity when she'd become a Mageaan. She had a living, breathing soul. She had empathy. She had emotions. She had the ability to think for herself.

Alice turned to the leaders, disgusted by what they'd done to the girl. "How could you send her into battle? How could you force her to try to kill another living creature?"

"Save her," Esmeralda shouted. She grabbed Alice by the hair, yanked her out of the crevice, and threw her to the ground. "Save her now!"

Alice fell to her knees besides the young woman, horrified by the spreading stain across her chest. "I'm so sorry—"

The injured Mageaan took her hand, her fingers cold as they began to turn gray. It wasn't the decayed gray of a soul long dead. It was the onset of death, true death. "Save me," she whispered. "I'm not ready to die."

Guilt burned through Alice. "I can't help you—"

Esmeralda grabbed Alice's hair, twisting violently. "You're an angel of life! You can save anyone! Save her!"

"I can't!" Alice lunged to her feet, shoving the golden-eyed woman back. "I can't save anyone!"

"You lie! You're all the same! You can save her if you want to, you just won't!"

"That's not true—" Alice stopped when the young woman's hand closed around her ankle in a silent plea. Alice immediately dropped to her knees. "What's your name?" she asked gently, wishing there was some way to give her comfort.

"My name is Chloe," the young woman whispered, her voice growing fainter. "I'm not supposed to be here. This isn't my fate. Don't let me die here." She reached out, brushing her fingers over Alice's cheek. "Angel of life, grant me this wish to live another day."

Alice bit her lip, fighting the swell of despair and guilt. The memory of a moment too much like this one. "I'm so sorry, Chloe. I wish I could—"

"Try. Please try," Chloe begged. "An angel's kiss is all I need."

Alice stared at her in disbelief as the woman's words registered. "An angel's kiss will save your life? So you're a—"

"Yes," Chloe said, cutting her off before she could say it aloud. "Please."

Alice closed her eyes, agony welling through her. It was just like before, just like when her mother had died: a soul so precious, and yet Alice still couldn't save her. Chloe was so rare, a gift to the very earth. How had she ended up here? How had she found herself at the end of Ian's mace?

"Please," whispered Chloe, her voice growing fainter.

Dammit. She couldn't let Chloe die. Her death would reverberate across the earth. She had to live. This time, please, this time, it had to be different. Please let me save her. Fear beating at her, she grabbed the girl's wrist and lifted her hand so her palm was facing up. Alice bent her head, and she felt Chloe suck in her breath in anticipation. One kiss. That was all she needed to do. One kiss.

When her lips were an inch from Chloe's hand, Alice's body froze. Her muscles locked up, completely immobilizing her. She couldn't move. She screamed inside, willing her body to close that last inch so she could press her lips to Chloe's palm, but her muscles were rigid, her body beyond her command. Pain screamed through her cells, and still she fought it, struggling to move that extra inch.

"Oh, come on!" Esmeralda grabbed Chloe's wrist and lifted her hand to Alice's face. A split second before it made contact with Alice's lips, a violent invisible force repelled Alice backward, slamming her against the coral reef. Pain shot through her head, and she knew she'd cut it open.

The leaders refused to give up, hoisting Chloe in their arms and dragging her toward Alice. As they neared, more pain seared through Alice's body, and she screamed in agony. But she couldn't move. She could do nothing but wait as they approached. A third attempt to save Chloe's life would have severe repercussions for Alice. It would be enough to kill her again.

She begged them to stop, even as Chloe looked at her beseechingly. "Why won't you help me?" she asked. "Why?"

"I can't," Alice said. "I can't save any life. Not anyone's."

"You're an angel of life!"

"I know that!" Alice braced herself as the empresses thrust Chloe at her. She tried to grab her, but her arms were locked down, her muscles rigid. A split second before Chloe reached Alice, a rush of water threw the injured Mageaan aside and slammed her into the coral. The young woman bounced off it and landed on the coral shelf. Immobile. Inches from death.

"You bitch!" Esmeralda lunged at Alice, her eyes blazing with loathing and hate so vile that Alice knew death was her only goal.

Alice struggled to get off the coral, but she was still immobilized, locked down until Chloe was dead, banned from trying to save her again. "I have the pearl!" Alice shouted in a last attempt to draw her attention, but Esmeralda didn't even slow. She simply tore a piece of coral off the reef and sliced it at Alice—

There was a loud crack and Ian's mace appeared in Alice's hand, the cold steel fitting her palm as if it had been made for her. Her hand moving as if it had a will of its own, Alice thrust the mace into Esmeralda's chest just as the Mageaan swung the sharp edge of the coral at Alice's head. Esmeralda screamed, lost her balance, and her piece of coral thudded harmlessly against the coral beside Alice's head.

Horrified, Alice stared in shock as the woman fell, her face contorted in the depths of agony as death took her, the mace in her heart an instant death blow.

Dear God, she'd killed her. How was that possible? What had happened? Shock taking over, Alice looked up and saw the battle had stopped.

The Mageaan were gaping at their fallen leader, their bodies morphing back into white mist one by one. In the midst of them stood Ian. His body was covered in wounds, his chest was heaving, and he was holding a mace in one hand.

His other hand was empty...because she had his second weapon.

Stunned, Alice held up the mace. "How?" she asked, her voice shaking.

"She was going to kill you." His voice was soft, and yet ruthlessly triumphant as he strode across the coral shelf toward her. "You called my weapon. Only a sheva can do that. It's one of the stages of the bond."

"I killed her. I killed a living creature." Alice's legs began to give away, and she slithered to her knees just as Ian caught her.

He grabbed her around the waist, holding her up as he gently took the mace from her hand. "It was self-defense," he said. "It's okay."

"No, no, it's not." Stunned, Alice looked across the coral to where Jada was sitting on the ground, holding Chloe in her arms, rocking her gently. "Esmeralda is dead, isn't she? And Chloe?" Two women dead because of her. Dead. Just like before.

"Chloe isn't dead yet." Jada's eyes were haunted. "But soon. Esmeralda is gone."

"Oh, God." Alice's whole body began to shake, and her skin felt hot and clammy, despite the cold ocean. "I can't do this." She stumbled away from Ian, fighting against the assault of memories.

Hey. Ian moved up beside her, setting his hand on her shoulder. She closed her eyes as electricity jumped between them at the contact. It's okay, Alice. Even angels have a right to save their own lives.

His voice was certain and non-judgmental, and Alice fought to hold onto his strength as she struggled to regroup. She had to be strong right now. They were still in a dangerous situation, and she couldn't fall apart. You mean that? Because even if you don't, tell me you do.

Ian brushed his lips over her forehead, an intimate gesture so tender that it said more than words would ever have communicated. He truly believed in the beauty of her soul, despite what she had just done. She closed her eyes and leaned her forehead against his, a perfect unspoken moment of connection. Thank you, she whispered.

I mean it, and I'm not just saying that. He turned his head enough to brush a light kiss over her cheekbone, another kiss of tenderness, but this time, with the slightest hint of possessiveness that made awareness simmer inside her. Ian said nothing as he ran his fingers down her forearm, his touch probing lightly where his brand was supposed to appear.

Quickly, she opened her eyes and looked at her arm.

There were still no marks there. Nothing to connect them despite the fact that she'd just called his weapon. Ian swore softly and laid his palm over her arm, covering the expanse of skin. You calling my weapon is one of the bonding stages, he said. Only a sheva can do it. That's the second stage that we've completed. There's no way my brand shouldn't be starting to form on your arm. It's impossible.

And yet, it was what had happened.

An aching sense of loneliness filled Alice, and she was hit with a sudden, burning desire to have his brand on her. To belong somewhere. To be connected with a living being the way she seemed to be able to connect with him. The absence of his mark was a brutal stab of isolation and loss, a taunting denial of all she wanted to be.

She had nothing. She was nothing. She was an angel of life who could not save any living creature, even her own mother. Even Chloe.

Ian ran his hand up her arm, encircling the back of her neck. His eyes were glittering with something dangerous and possessive. I need to mark you. I don't handle it well when my mark doesn't show up on you when it should. That's twice now. And still you resist me. His voice was tense, and she felt the supreme effort he was exercising to battle the effects of the curse. His fingers were digging into her neck, drawing her closer.

Excitement leapt through her, a desperate need to cleanse herself of who she was. She wanted to hide from her life, and lose herself in what he awakened within her. To feel Ian's desire for her and pretend that it made sense, pretend she deserved it.

His fingers dug into her hair, and his mouth hovered inches from hers. His body was shaking with the effort of controlling himself, and she felt the waves of despair rolling through him as a result of the fact his brand still hadn't appeared on her arm. The curse was strong and gaining strength. He swore under his breath, squeezing her neck even harder, promising so much unrestrained passion. Not here. Not now. But it has to be soon.

Not now? Why not now? She wanted to protest, to shout at him not to withhold the gift he offered, and then she suddenly remembered where they were: on a coral reef in the depths of the ocean surrounded by dead bodies and murderous Mageaan. Not the kind of thing a girl was supposed to forget. What are you doing to me? Horrified by the fact she'd been so consumed by her emotions and lust that she'd forgotten where she was, she jerked out of his grasp and spun around.

To her shock, every Mageaan within sight was bent low, their heads bowed toward her. She stiffened, dark foreboding settling deep inside her. "This isn't good."

Ian studied the genuflecting masses. They're saluting you as their new leader. You killed their current one.

A ripple of unease went through her. Only fallen angels could be Mageaan. Had she crossed that line when she murdered? She quickly looked at her palms. In the center of one hand was a small, gray dot. The first step. The precursor to losing all that she was. Horrified, she closed her palm, jerking her chin up as she looked toward Jada. "I'm not their leader," she said sharply.

Jada was still sitting down with Chloe in her lap. She looked weary and exhausted. "You are bound to us now. You cannot leave the water. Ever."

Alice shook her head. "Oh, no, no. That's not possible. I have to leave. I have to find my sister. I won't stay—"

"You don't have a choice. You can't leave. It's impossible." Jada looked at Ian. Gone was the hostility from before, replaced by resigned understanding and bitter camaraderie. "And you, as her mate, are equally condemned. Both of your futures are dead now." She rose to her feet, still cradling the unconscious Chloe. "Welcome to hell."