Ascension (29 page)

“Go cool off,” she said and Taig looked over his shoulder at her again. The flames of Hell burned in his eyes. “I need to talk to her.”

He didn’t move.

“I’ll be fine. Just give me a moment, okay? You’ll know if I need you.”

Lealandra jumped when his wings curled back up, shrinking down at the same time, and disappeared under his skin. The jagged marks healed, leaving his skin unbroken. It was fascinating to watch the process. He looked at her one more time and then walked into the bedroom. Her gaze fell on the slim young woman who had come to visit her. There was more fear in her green eyes now and a more wary air to her than when they had last met. It had been a while since Lealandra had seen Isabelle but she hadn’t expected such a dramatic change. The bright youthful and carefree aura that had surrounded her was gone, replaced with a darker fearful one. Her mousy hair was as wild as ever, the waves loosely held back in a knot, strands of it falling out. She smiled but no trace of happiness touched her eyes. It hadn’t in weeks.

“Lea,” Isabelle said and moved over to her, her arms out as though she was going to embrace her. A growl from the bedroom stopped her dead and she frowned at the open black door. Her arms fell to her sides. “Your new man is a bit of an animal.”

Lealandra smiled and sat down on the black couch. She patted the spot next to her. Isabelle sat and arranged the long trumpet sleeves of her black fairy-like top across her lap. Lealandra had always wondered how someone like Isabelle managed with such long sleeves. She was rather accident-prone at times.

“He won’t eat you, and he’s my old man, actually.” Lealandra glanced at the bedroom door. She could sense Taig stomping around it. He wasn’t doing it literally. He was walking quietly. But she could feel in his mind that it was a definite stomp. A quiet stomp. He wasn’t happy about letting another witch into his home and she couldn’t blame him for being cautious. He only wanted to protect her. Her smile widened. He went into the bathroom and the sound of water running broke the silence. “And my Counter-Balance.”

“He’s a demon—”

“It is possible.” Her gaze shifted back to Isabelle and she could see in her green eyes that she didn’t believe her. It was a look that she recognised, one that another had been prone to giving her whenever she had said something they hadn’t agreed with. “Our balance doesn’t need to be a human bearing magic. Taig gives me balance like no other has, not even Charlie.”

The room fell quiet and the air between her and Isabelle turned as thick as tar. Lealandra stared at her hands where they rested in her lap. They were dirty against her white bathrobe. She had fixed the apartment but had forgotten to fix her appearance. How bad did she look? She casually touched her hair. It was knotted and all over the place. She could still taste blood. How did it look to Isabelle? She probably thought that she was interrupting some sort of sex-fest. It probably looked terrible, especially after everything they had been through together.

“I’m sorry about what happened to him,” Lealandra whispered.

Isabelle remained quiet.

Lealandra sighed and took hold of her hand. It was warm and she could feel Isabelle’s magic rising within her, coming to the surface to meet her own power. Young magic that was weak compared to her old magic. Her power interlaced with it, giving strength rather than drawing it, as though it had felt Isabelle’s need for stronger magic in her time of need.

“It was his choice.” Isabelle’s voice was low, her gaze not leaving their hands. “My brother always did like you. He was fairly set on being your Counter-Balance, even though he wasn’t really strong enough for you.”

Isabelle’s gaze slowly rose to meet hers and then moved to the side, towards the bedroom. Lealandra knew why. Taig was there. She only hoped he was wearing clothes. A glance at him revealed that he was dressed in just his black jeans. The tight material clung to his powerful legs and rode low on his hips, revealing the full length of his abdomen and stirring hunger inside her.

“It’s okay to keep talking. He really won’t bite.” Lealandra didn’t take her eyes off Taig. He was an imposing figure when he wanted to be and was emitting a sense of danger that Isabelle’s magic would pick up. Isabelle hadn’t encountered many demons and Taig was far more powerful than the average type of demon she might have met in the field.

Lealandra’s gaze rose to meet his. The black fathomless depths of his eyes spoke to hers, holding her captive and making her imagine them entwined again, as one with each other. Taig had been so sweet with her that she craved the roughness they had previously shared.

A seductive smile tugged at the corners of his lips. He leaned back against the wall, crossed his ankles and jammed his hands into his pockets. His torso tensed, revealing the delicious peaks and valleys of his body. The intensity of his gaze caused heat to rise up from her feet and scorch every inch of her.

Lealandra tore her eyes away from him. Isabelle was staring at him, a hint of colour touching her cheeks. She didn’t think that Isabelle was particularly experienced with men. Charlie had been very protective of his little sister and had kept her away from the men in the coven as much as possible. When Gregori had suggested finding Isabelle a Counter-Balance, Charlie had petitioned against it, stating that his sister was too young for such things.

Charlie had been worried that Isabelle would fall for her Counter-Balance, just as he had fallen for his. Lealandra had never seen it before Isabelle had pointed it out to her barely half a year ago and after that, she hadn’t known how to act around Charlie. She knew that it was common for Counter-Balances to fall for one another, but that wasn’t what she had expected from her relationship with Charlie, and it wasn’t what she had wanted. She hadn’t wanted his love. She had only wanted someone to balance her magic.

Isabelle’s attention slowly moved away from Taig. Her blush deepened when Lealandra met her gaze. She didn’t mind Isabelle looking at Taig. He was putting on a display after all, but she could guarantee that he hadn’t expected Isabelle to gawp rather than be afraid.

“Why are you here?” Darkness laced Taig’s deep voice. Anger and mistrust swept over her in a wave so strong that she knew Isabelle would be able to sense it. “Unless you just came to catch up about old times and Charlie-boy.”

Isabelle shot him a glare. The protective thing worked both ways. Isabelle had always been fiercely defensive of her big brother.

“I was out when I received a call,” Isabelle said. “It was from Mariana.”

“Mariana?” Lealandra leaned towards Isabelle, needing to hold her attention so she could see the truth in her eyes. The older witch was growing frail with the passing of years and the toll her magic took on her. Lealandra had often helped her during her classes for the younger witches at the coven. “Is she okay?”

Isabelle nodded. “For now, anyway. She told me that Gregori has gone insane. He’s taken half of the coven hostage and the other half has agreed to work with him.”

“He’s going to come after me.” Lealandra’s eyes darted to Taig. Suddenly he didn’t look so relaxed. The red was back in his eyes and the aura of danger had returned. His tension ran through her as though it was her own.

“I came straight here to tell you.” Isabelle’s gaze flickered to the front door. “It’s a powerful spell you put on this place.”

Lealandra shook her head. “It isn’t my magic. I couldn’t construct something like this, not even now. It’s Taig’s power.”

Isabelle looked at Taig again, amazement written across her youthful face. He shrugged nonchalantly. Lealandra smiled at how uncomfortable he looked. She had always thought that Taig would enjoy such attention and would lap up this kind of awe, but instead he looked as though he wanted to leave the room.

“It was nothing.” He pushed away from the wall, went into the kitchen, picked up his hunting knife and began toying with it. Nervous? She suppressed her giggle. It was new to see Taig shy about something. This was the man who was happy fighting naked and didn’t give a damn about most things. A little bit of attention and praise had him almost blushing.

“Taig is very powerful. He’s amazing,” Lealandra said and he looked at her, eyebrows raised and eyes wide, as though she had shocked him by saying that. “He’s not letting on but it took a lot of strength and skill to create this barrier, far more than we witches have.”

He turned his back on her but not before she noticed a touch of crimson staining his cheeks.

Lealandra grinned at his back and felt warm inside. She had meant every word. Taig was far more powerful than she could ever be. Even now that she had ascended, she was no match for him if he unleashed his demonic side.

And the barrier was incredible.

Isabelle took her hand. Lealandra looked down at them and then at her. Isabelle was staring at their hands, a distant look in her green eyes.

“I… it feels different… your magic.” Isabelle met her gaze. “Changed. Stronger.”

Lealandra nodded. “I survived. I said I would, didn’t I?”

Tears filled Isabelle’s eyes and she brushed them away. Lealandra could sense her happiness and relief. Isabelle had been more worried than Charlie when Lealandra had revealed the ascension mark to them.

“He helped you?” Isabelle said with a pointed glance at Taig. Isabelle’s gaze snapped back to him and she frowned. “He… you.”

Taig walked back to the wall and Lealandra looked at him, and the place where she knew Isabelle was staring.

“You were right,” Isabelle said. “He is your Counter-Balance, and you’ve bonded with him.”

Lealandra smiled at the mark on Taig’s arm. Her mark. Her Taig.

She placed her hand over her arm, over Taig’s mark on her skin. Her gaze questioned him but he looked away to stare out of the windows. She wanted to know what it meant. Was it like her mark? Did it bond them?

“It’s really quite disturbing.” Isabelle’s tone was deadpan. Both Lealandra and Taig looked at her.

“That I’ve bonded with him?” Lealandra said with a frown. She didn’t think it was disturbing.

“No, the moon eyes you make at each other.” Isabelle put her fingers in her mouth and pretended to gag. Lealandra rolled her eyes. Isabelle sighed and her look turned serious again. For a brief moment, the old Isabelle had been back. “You know, I always knew.”

“Knew what?”

“That you were still in love with him and that you would never love my brother.”

Lealandra blushed when she felt Taig’s gaze burning into her.

“Did Mariana say anything else?” She wanted to deflect Isabelle’s attention away from her love life. Taig continued to stare at her as though he was trying to read her mind. She would tell him. She would confess that she loved him.

When he confessed that he loved her.

Then she would know that he was ready to hear it.

“Only that Gregori is stronger now. I’ve been away for a few days. There was some sort of commotion I think and now Gregori has the ascension mark.”

Lealandra’s eyes shot wide and she tensed. It was as she had suspected. He had used her blood to trigger his ascension. With the supreme mages and half the coven helping him, there was a high chance he would survive. He had only taken her blood two days ago. His ascension couldn’t be close yet. The quickest one known had been five days from when the mark appeared to when the ascension was complete.

“Your blood,” Taig said and she nodded. Isabelle looked lost.

“Gregori sent two demons to take care of me and get my blood for him. I was so angry that, when the demons were dead, I went after Gregori. It was an idiotic thing to do. I thought he was weak but he was still stronger than me.” Lealandra sighed and wrapped her arms around herself, chilled by the haunting memory of where Gregori had sent her. “He took my blood. The power in it must have triggered his ascension, just as he’d wanted.”

“We have to put an end to this, Lea.” The seriousness in Taig’s tone scared her on some level. It wasn’t like him to sound that way, not even when he was being serious. It hit home that she was still in danger. If Gregori ascended, she would be no match for him. His magic was older and more powerful.

“Our only chance is to hit him now, before he ascends.”

Taig nodded. “Tomorrow.”

“Why not today?” Isabelle said, fear lacing her trembling voice. Lealandra knew that she had never been involved in the kind of battle that was going to take place.

Neither had she.

But she wasn’t afraid of it or Gregori, not anymore. She had to face him and this battle so she could survive and continue to live her life. So she could be with Taig.

“Lea needs to rest. You showed up barely minutes after her ascension completed. She isn’t strong enough right now and I’m not letting her go into a fight when she’s weak, not again.” The resolve behind Taig’s words brought a smile to Lealandra’s lips. He really did want to protect her. He really did love her. He didn’t need to say it for her to know, and she knew it was the same for him.

He smiled at her, cocksure and confident, typical Taig. The smirk suited him. The affection that shone in his eyes suited him even better though. That look could melt her. It warmed her heart to boiling point and weakened her knees. It was more powerful than any of his sultry gazes and seductive smiles.

“We’ll come tomorrow,” she said to Isabelle, aware of Taig’s gaze on her. “Were you due back at the coven tonight?”

Isabelle nodded.

“Go as planned. Return and act as though you don’t know what’s happening. Tell the others that we’re coming and we won’t let Gregori harm them. I’ll take care of him.”

Isabelle looked nervous. Lealandra took hold of her hand and squeezed it.

“It will be fine. I promise. I’ll come tomorrow night and finish this.”

Isabelle nodded again and then rose from the couch. “I’m not a good actor.”

“You don’t need to be,” Taig said and stepped away from the wall. “Just be yourself, kiddo. If Gregori frightens you, be frightened. Remember that you’re not supposed to know anything.”

She toyed with her long sleeves and walked to the door. Lealandra followed her and then pulled her into a hug.