Page 30 of The Immortal’s Curse (Bound to the Immortals #2)

DARCIE

My body twists and tumbles like I’m trapped in an oversized dryer. An acute jolt of agony stabs my skull. It’s a struggle to hold onto my consciousness, the promise of blissful oblivion tempting compared to this chaos throwing me around.

Just as I’m about to lose the battle to stay awake, my mind lands in a room glowing with warm candlelight.

White tablecloths drape elegantly over round tables with gleaming China and polished silverware.

The walls, painted maroon and cream, are adorned with oil paintings depicting cathedrals bathed in golden light, sweeping ocean vistas, and famous landmarks rendered in delicate detail.

I’m in a restaurant. A sign above the hostess stand near the entrance reveals its name: something unmistakably Italian, graceful in cursive gold.

In the corner, a violinist plays a slow, aching melody. The notes flutter across the room. She sways gently with each pull of her bow, eyes closed, lost in the music as though playing for a crowd enraptured by her every movement. But only one couple sits at the heart of the room .

A tug on my chest has me closing the distance between me and the mystery couple with slow, careful steps.

The woman’s back is to me. A glass of wine covers the man’s face as he sips, but even before he lowers the glass, I know it’s Alex.

Somehow, I’ve pulled myself into a vision about the vampire. Based on what’s happening in the real world, I assume this moment occurred in the past. That’s a feat I don’t believe I’ve accomplished before.

Maybe my abilities are developing? Or maybe I’m just able to use them now that I’ve accepted they exist.

I halt a few feet behind the woman, close enough to hear her speak.

“So you’ll do it?” Her voice is melodic but laced with worry. She fidgets with her necklace, fingers sliding the charm back and forth along the chain. “You’ll help me?”

“I’d do anything for you,” Alex answers without hesitation. His eyes burn with emotion, every word soaked in devotion. “But why come to me? Surely Desmond would be better suited for something like this.”

Desmond?

My pulse spikes.

“He can’t know,” her voice cracks. “ Please . Promise me you won’t tell him.”

Alex reaches across the table and gently takes her hand.

“I won’t say a word,” he vows, his voice low. “But I have to be honest, I think you’re making a mistake. No one could protect her like Desmond.”

She shakes her head, the soft waves of her hair catching the warm light. “The moment he learns of her existence, it’s over. I’ve seen it.”

Seen it?

This woman must be a clairvoyant.

Is she Immortal? I can’t see her face, but her long brown hair is not unique. She could be anyone.

“Very well.” Alex’s expression shifts, solemn. “It will be done. I’ll speak with the warlocks. No one will know the request came from you.”

Relief pours from her in a single breath. “Thank you.”

“Of course.”

“I should go.” She starts to rise.

“So soon?” Alex’s hand tightens around hers. “Can’t you stay? Just for a little while? Tell me how you’ve been. Tell me about the girl.”

A sad note creeps into her voice. “I cannot. It’s… it’s too painful.”

His jaw clenches, emotion clouding his face. Slowly, releases her hand. His fingers curl into a fist, as if resisting the instinct to pull her close.

“I’m sorry, Alexander.” She takes a step back. “It really is for the best.”

He doesn’t argue. Just sits there, stone still, grief painted across his features.

She turns. Her profile comes into view, delicate, familiar, but before I can place her?—

BANG.

A deafening crack echoes around me.

Not from the restaurant.

From reality.

Color explodes. The floor vanishes beneath me. I’m falling, spinning?—

I blink, and I’m yanked back to the present with a jarring jolt.

The security light above illuminates the dark alley, but smoke and dust waft through the air. I cough and tuck my chin, pulling the neckline of my dress up to cover my nose and mouth. The sounds of fighting continue, but it’s much more subdued than when I fell into my vision .

I don’t know what happened while I was out, but I pray my friends are okay. They have to be okay. Des has to be okay.

Adir’s rebels would have found me by now if they weren’t. Right?

I look around the alley, my eyes gritty from the dust in the air. I can’t stay here.

I roll onto my stomach and crawl towards the street. I promised Des I’d stay put, but that was before the threat of suffocation hung over my head. Literally .

I reach the edge of the alley and freeze. The remnants of a crumbled building are piled across the street. Bodies are strewn across the rubble—twisted, lifeless, wrapped in coils of glowing green, blue, or white power. The ones untouched by magic are headless.

A sharp breath catches in my throat, and my stomach heaves.

Everything I’ve eaten empties onto the cracked pavement. The acidic sting of vomit scorches my throat, burning my nostrils. I try to breathe through my mouth, but the air is thick with dust, choking me with each breath.

Wiping my mouth with a shaky hand, I crouch low and crawl the rest of the way out, hugging the wall to my right like it’s the only solid thing left in the world.

I suck in desperate breaths and force my eyes away from the fallen rebels, zeroing in on the three figures standing in front of a lone man who kneels on the asphalt. The vice around my heart loosens its debilitating grip.

Power flows over Bella, Eshe, and Des. Alex and his two vampire friends stand just behind them, their clothes torn, but they don’t look injured.

I check Bella and Eshe. Both breathe heavily, and their hair is messy, but they look okay.

Thank the Creator.

“Who sent you?” Des barks at the kneeling man. From his tone, I’d wager it’s not the first time he’s asked .

The man twists, as if fighting off restraints. The movement reveals white cuffs wrapped around his wrists, pinned behind his back.

A green blade flies into the man’s thigh. He roars.

Eshe shouts, “Who sent you?”

His nostrils flare, and his glare screams of hatred.

“You know who sent us,” he spits. “And it is only a matter of time before Lord Adir is freed once more.”

“Adir is our prisoner.” Des’s voice is cold but even. “He couldn’t have sent you.”

“You are wrong. Once he is free, you will see. You will all see.” Even from my distance, the crazed look in the man’s eye is clear. He’s a fanatic. There’s no reasoning with him.

My friends must come to the same realization.

Des turns to Eshe. “Take him back. We will question him more later.”

She nods and steps toward the prisoner. A battle cry sounds from above.

Everyone looks up. Four rebels leap from the roof of a white stone building.

Des throws out an arm. A blinding stream of light shoots into the air. It splits into four different streams, each one aimed at an assailant.

Two block the attack with orange orbs that absorb Des’s power, swelling in size. The other two are hit. They land in boneless heaps on the destroyed road below.

The kneeling man lunges to his feet and slams his shoulder into Eshe, sending the distracted Immortal staggering backward. His wild, bloodshot eyes lock on me.

“Get the girl!” he roars.

Shit.

One of the rebels cries out and thrusts a hand into the air. Power crackles in his palm, then he hurls it. A searing orb shoots toward me, spinning with violent speed, tearing through the night.

“Darcie!” Des’s voice rips through the chaos, raw and panicked.

My gaze snaps to him. Terror carves his face. Behind him, Alex stands frozen, pale as death.

A gasp, sharp, strangled, rips from someone’s throat. Bella? Eshe? I can’t tell.

The orb is almost here. I don’t breathe. I don’t move.

Wind explodes around me like a thunderclap. Arms clamp around my shoulders, and I’m yanked sideways, lifted, spun around, as if engulfed by a tornado. My head snaps forward, and I tuck my arms tight to protect myself.

Everything blurs. The world tilts. Then, the storm dissipates. Pressure vanishes. I blink rapidly, the street coming into shaky focus. I'm on the other side of the road, heart racing, lungs heaving. Strong arms hold me close.

I look up, dizzy and disoriented, and meet a pair of striking blue eyes.

“Are you alright?” an unfamiliar vampire asks, voice urgent but low, like he’s afraid I’ll break if he speaks too loud.

“I-I don’t know.” My throat scrapes with every word. “I think so?”

He tightens his grip slightly, scanning my face, like he’s trying to read the damage the blast might’ve caused.

Before I can speak again, a scream shatters the air. My head whips around, and I balk at the sight of the other vampire leaping onto the back of a rebel. He sinks his fangs into the man’s throat, and my stomach rolls.

The rebel howls and tries to throw the creature off, but blue power slams into him.

Bella steps next to Des, eyes flash with rage, and she sends another bolt into the rebel’s chest. The vampire leaps off, blood dripping from his chin just before the rebel falls to the ground.

Unseeing eyes stare at the night sky as crimson liquid pools beneath his head.

The air crackles with power. Des’s magic flows over the ground like white wildfire. Alex takes a wary step back, but Eshe and Bella hold their positions beside their brother-in-law.

Des stands tall, palpable fury pulsing through him, as he stares at the rebel who tried to attack me. Eshe’s green power has wrapped around the man’s torso. The man thrashes, but her power doesn’t waver.

“You shouldn’t have done that,” Des says, his voice a low promise. Then, he brings his hands together in a sharp clap, and a blinding flash erupts, striking the rebel in the heart. The man doesn’t even have time to scream before he scatters into dust.

I recoil, cowering into the chest of the vampire still holding me.

Renewed fear pours into my veins. I tilt my head back, my breath comes out in short, desperate bursts as my mind scrambles to process everything that’s happened in such a short amount of time.

“You are alright.” The vampire holds my gaze, his expression now unreadable. “You have nothing to fear.”

Wrong.

I have everything to fear.

I wiggle my arms. Without a word, he releases me.

I stumble a few steps before shock takes hold, and I can’t stand. I sit on the ground, pulling my knees to my chest, hiding my face in my arms.

Fear… exhaustion… disbelief overwhelms me.

Why won’t the rebels leave me alone?

You know why.

I squeeze my eyes closed but can’t stop the tears from falling.

I don’t know how long I sit there in the middle of the road. No one speaks. They’re giving me space to work through my breakdown. Too bad I don’t think space will be enough.

Choking down the sob blocking my throat, I lift my head. Des stands a foot away, staring at me with a look that says he wants to help, but he’s uncertain how.

Seeing my attention, he extends a hand. I press my lips together and take it, letting him pull me to my feet. My hand tingles from his touch.

“Are you alright?” His eyes search mine. Green. Bright. The eyes that once haunted my dreams are now a source of comfort. Des saved me. More than once. He came when I called.

I stare at our joined hands and whisper, “I’m fine.”

Thin arms wrap around my waist, drawing me into a petite frame, forcing me to release Des’s hand. His fingers flex at the loss.

“Thank the Creator you are okay!” Bella squeezes me tight, resting her head against my back. “I’m so sorry, Darcie.”

I turn and open my arms, returning the hug. “Kayla?”

“Safely back in Brunswick with a weak Masking in place. One of us will return tonight to ensure she doesn’t remember any of this.”

Relief and guilt war within me. I hate the idea of altering Kayla’s memories, but I don’t want her to remember this trauma, either.

Movement from my left draws my gaze. Eshe nods when we make eye contact, then her attention turns to the vampires gathered at Des’s side. “Thank you for your aid.”

“Yes.” Des steps forward, extending a hand to Alex. “Thank you, Alexander, for being in the right place at the right time.”

They know each other? Of course they do. The restaurant vision confirmed as much.

Alex takes Des’s hand and shakes it once. “I’m always happy to serve the Council.”

His companions drop into respectful bows .

Des nods. “There will be a meeting to discuss this attack in the coming days. The Council will summon you for a briefing on the night’s events.”

“We are at your service.” Alex lifts a hand, signaling his companions.

The one who saved me meets my stare, tips his head, then vanishes in a sudden gust of air, followed by the other vampire. Only Alex remains.

He turns to me. His lips part like he’s about to speak, but he hesitates. A flicker of something unreadable crosses his face.

I wait, eager for answers. But his gaze shifts to the Immortals, and he swallows whatever he planned to say.

A breath later, Alex is gone, leaving only silence and another unnatural gust of air behind.

I stand in the aftermath of the rebel attack, surrounded by endless questions, haunted by the look Alex gave me, and the nagging certainty that the vision of him and the woman in the restaurant didn’t occur by chance.

It was a warning about something to come… or maybe it was just a clue about his agenda. I have no idea which…

Not yet.

My hands curl into fists, and I inhale a determined breath.

But Creator help me, I will figure it out. I have no choice. The rebels made sure of that.