Page 18 of The Immortal’s One (Bound to the Immortals #1)

Numbness spreads through my body. Disbelief wars with terror in my mind.

Supernatural stuff… I can sort of deal with. I mean, it’s crazy, but I always believed in a higher power. The idea that there are forces beyond my understanding doesn’t seem so far-fetched.

But me? An immortal? No… There’s no way. That doesn’t make sense. I’m human. This woman is wrong. She has to be.

I start to spiral, but angry words cut through the air, yanking my focus away from the meltdown looming over me.

“You have no right!” Des’s roar ricochets off the vaulted ceilings.

My heart hammers, each beat pounding in my eardrums. My fingernails dig into the table behind me. The rage radiating off Des’s broad shoulders is palpable. Yet somehow, the ebony-haired woman stands her ground.

“I have every right.” She meets his glare. “This matter affects all of us, Des. Not just you. ”

He snarls, lips curling back over his teeth. “You’re dragging an innocent into a situation that has nothing to do with her.”

“She’s already been dragged into this situation.” Her voice sharpens. “That’s the point. The time for secrecy is over. Stop coddling her as you always do and have the decency to be honest!”

Sharp inhales echo around the room.

“Eshe.” Lome rises to his feet, his easygoing demeanor gone. “That was out of line.”

The woman, Eshe, scoffs. “Of course. Forgive me. I forgot that only the three of you have the right to opinions regarding what goes on with this family.”

“That’s not what—” Lome protests, but Eshe moves toward the door.

“I’ll see myself out. Good luck cleaning up your mess.” Her words hang in the air like a curse, and she storms off, leaving the room almost as quickly as she’d entered.

Lome’s gaze lingers on the doorway for a moment, his expression tightening.

Then he sighs, running a hand over his face.

“You know she’s right, Des.” The weariness in his voice carries more than just fatigue.

He looks at the ground for a moment before lifting his gaze again, his tone softer, almost regretful.

“Even if you don’t like it, Darcie’s in this now. ”

Des’s eyes narrow into slits. “A fact that could’ve been avoided if you and Thane would have minded your own business.”

“You, of all people, know we can’t change the past,” Thane speaks up. “What matters now is how we proceed. Speaking of which, what did you do with Evetta?”

My blood runs cold at the mention of the cruel woman.

Des crosses his arms. “Nothing she didn’t deserve. ”

“What happened with Evetta?” Bella interrupts, looking between the men in the room. “How is she involved in this?”

Thane exhales. “She attacked Darcie.”

“What?! Where?”

“In a mortal food market,” Thane answers his wife. Then, he addresses Des. “Were there any witnesses?”

“None.”

“Good.” He nods. “That makes the cleanup easier. Where is Evetta now?”

“I sent her to the Underworld.”

Bella gasps. Lome lets out a groan. Thane’s expression never shifts. As for me? I worry I’m losing my grip on reality—that my imagination is taking over.

Immortals… Underworld?

This isn’t real. It can’t be. I’m hallucinating. I squeeze my eyes closed, willing myself to wake up from this confusing nightmare. But when my eyelids part, I’m in the same fancy room surrounded by strangers discussing things that occur in fantasy novels, not real life.

“I wish you hadn’t done that.” Thane exhales. “The other Nine will take offense to your actions.”

Des snorts. “Let them. It’s not like Evetta’s gone forever. She’ll be crawling out of that miserable pit soon enough.”

I shudder. The image his words create is brutal.

“Des,” Lome groans. “Come on. The others are already a big enough headache. You couldn’t have controlled your temper?”

“What would you have me do? Not protect the girl?” Des scoffs.

“Of course not,” Bella tries to defuse the tension building between the men. “But… I think it's pertinent to ask… why were you there to help Darcie in the first place?” She raises a curious eyebrow.

Thane and Lome share a look before turning to Des. They’re acting like they’re about to catch him in a lie or something, but the stoic man who rescued me doesn’t miss a beat.

“One of my sources tipped me off. The rebellion had been discussing the girl. They were planning to extract her. I didn’t know Evetta would be involved until I showed up to intervene.”

Lome and Thane’s loaded expressions deflate.

Thane asks, “Are you saying Evetta is involved in the rebellion?”

“I’m saying Evetta was in a location my source said the rebels planned to be,” Des says with a shrug. “We’ll know more after her trial.”

“And yet, you delivered judgment before a trial?” Thane’s words ooze disapproval.

Des snaps, “I did what needed to be done to protect the girl you put at risk.”

I’ve had enough of listening to them argue. It’s time I get answers—real answers. Before I go crazy. “Excuse me?” I try to speak up.

No one seems to hear me.

Thane scowls at Des. “If you weren’t so stubborn, Darcie would’ve been here and not in that food market to be attacked.”

The muscle in Des’s jaw ticks. “If you weren’t so damn stubborn, you wouldn’t have gone to see her today and made her an even bigger target.”

“Excuse me!” I shout .

Four pairs of eyes swing to me. I lift my chin but can’t hide how my bottom lip quivers.

“Yes, Darcie?” Thane prompts, his voice softer now.

I clear my throat. “That woman—Eshe—she said you were… immortals?” Saying the word out loud makes me feel silly. This can’t be real. Still, I have to ask, “What does that mean, exactly?”

Thane’s expression is carefully blank. “It means exactly what you think it means.”

The floor tilts beneath me. “But that’s—that’s not possible.”

“It is,” Thane insists. “We are Immortals. And you, Darcie, are one of us.”

“No.” Fury heats Des’s words. “She is not.”

His eyes cut to me, and a flicker of regret softens them before they harden again. “I’m sorry you got dragged into this, but it’s a mistake.”

I freaking hope so.

He turns to Thane and Lome, his glare cold and unforgiving. “This is on both of you to fix.”

Without another word, he stomps out of the room, the door slamming behind him with a violent crash that rattles the pictures on the wall.

Ignoring the twisted feeling in my stomach at seeing Des walk out, I face the man I met at the library. If I’d known the mess I’d find myself in, I never would have spoken to Thane in the first place. But just like he told Des… you can’t change the past.

Though, I’m not quite sure what he’d been referencing with that remark. Whatever it was, it sure struck a chord with the surly man .

I break the silence, my voice hoarse. “What did you mean, Thane, when you said I was one of you?”

His lips press together. “We should wait to talk about this, Darcie. Until Des is ready to?—”

“No,” I cut him off, my frustration boiling over. “I’m not willing to wait around while you all figure out how to sugarcoat whatever it is you want to say to me. I deserve to know. Now ,” I emphasize with a glare.

Lome blows out a heavy breath. “She’s right, Thane. Just tell her.”

Thane mumbles a curse. His eyes flick from Lome to me. “Fine. But I’m afraid this is going to overwhelm you,” he warns.

“Too late.” I snort. “Just tell me. Not knowing is worse.”

Thane walks over to the plush armchair and sits down slowly, tension still vibrating off him. Bella takes a seat on the sofa and pats the cushion next to her. Inhaling another breath, I force my feet to move.

Once I’m seated, Thane begins. “When I say we are Immortal, I mean we cannot die.”

That’s pretty much what I thought.

Still, disbelief bubbles up like acid in my stomach. “You—you can’t die?”

“Correct.” He meets my gaze with a quiet intensity. “Lome, Des, and I were created as we are. We do not age. We do not die.”

My mind spins, the words lodge in my brain, twisting, refusing to make sense. My dad’s voice plays in the back of my mind, lecturing about myths and legends, but this… this is not a lecture. It’s real.

“Wait.” I look at Bella in confusion. “Are you not immortal? ”

She bites her bottom lip. “I am, but I wasn’t born this way.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means…” she trails off, shifting in her seat. “It means that, in theory, I can die. But it wouldn’t be easy. I’ve lived through things that should have killed me.” Her gaze shifts to Thane, then Lome. “But I’m not the same as them.”

Thane leans forward, lacing his fingers together, and picks up where she left off. “There are nine Original Immortals. My brothers and I are three of them. We were created exactly as you see us now. The Nine are the Creator’s first, and most powerful, creations.”

My fingers dig into the edge of the cushion, my knuckles whitening. I shut my eyes. The walls close in on me.

Original Immortals?

The Creator?

What would a psychologist diagnose me with if I told them this story? Delusional thinking? Stress-induced psychosis?

“I know this is a lot, but you shouldn’t be afraid,” Bella says softly. I open my eyes. She smiles tentatively. “The Original Nine are protectors of humanity. Their divine task is to ensure the safety of the human race.”

But then her eyes take on a faraway, troubled look. “Though, the Creator only bestowed half of their powers upon them at their creation.”

I swallow down the bile crawling up my throat. “Why would they do that?”

“The Creator knew too much power could corrupt,” Thane says. Lome stays silent, content to sit back and watch events unfold.

It’s a struggle to believe what they’re saying, but what choice do I have? Too many things have happened that can’t be explained away. I take a deep breath and hold onto my sanity as I continue to dig for answers.

“So…” I exhale. “You guys don’t have all of your … powers ?”

“I do,” Thane says.

I frown. “But Bella just said?—”

“That the Creator didn’t give the brothers all their powers at their creation,” Bella interrupts. “But they receive the other half of their power when they find their One . I am Thane’s One .”

My vision tunnels. My heart beats so hard against my sternum it’s sure to leave a bruise. “ The One ,” I repeat, my voice barely above whisper.

I’ve heard that phrase before… and nothing good ever followed it.

Bella nods. “Yes. The One is a human woman. A soulmate, if you will. When the brothers find their One , all their power is unlocked.”

I close my eyes. I’m dizzy. Soulmates? That’s… that’s crazy. This whole conversation is crazy.

When I open my eyes, Bella stares at me, unblinking.

“No.” I connect the dots of all that’s happened so far and realize what these people are trying to tell me. “I’m not… I’m not one of those women.”

“We believe you are.” Thane’s voice is firm, though there’s a hint of apology in his tone.

“I-I can’t be,” I choke out. “I’m not immortal. Evetta almost killed me. She nearly strangled me to death!”

“You’re not Immortal… yet .” Bella looks at me the way someone looks at a kicked puppy. “But that can change. It takes a bonding. The transformation doesn’t happen without it.”

Bonding?

Transformation?

The words ricochet in my mind, relentless, shattering the last remnants of my composure. I jump to my feet. My legs shake, but I lock my knees. “Take me home. Please. I just want to go home.”

Bella’s expression falls. Lome’s shoulders slump.

Thane stands to his full height. “We can’t do that. Your life is in danger.”

“Why?” Desperation grips my heart. “I haven’t even done anything.”

His face hardens, though the emotion is not directed at me. “I’m sorry, Darcie, but our enemies believe you’re Des’s One . And as long as they do, you’re in danger. You have no choice but to remain with us.”

Fear locks me in place, and every breath is a struggle as the weight of his words presses down on me.

This nightmare is only just beginning.