Besides, love wouldn’t be enough as the decades passed and she grew feeble and left him behind. It would be agony for Drake, and if she ended the relationship now, she could spare him that.
Or would it be sparing her? There was a comfort in the thought of growing old together. What if one of them stayed young and gorgeous? Suddenly aging was cruel. How much would it hurt to watch his desire for her fade along with her looks?
Heather got out of the shower and yanked the towel free from the rod. Her decision seemed less noble and more cowardly by the second. Truth of the matter was, she had no idea if she would even live through the day.
Maybe it really was better this way. If Ashley did kill her, Drake could still be angry with her. The anger might keep him from sinking into the abyss of grief he’d been living in when she met him.
She brushed her teeth and got dressed, then quickly French-braided her long silver hair. Playing out all these scenarios in her head wasn’t helping. Time to focus and live in the present moment.
If she made it through today, then she could worry about tomorrow.
The doorbell rang as she came down the stairs. Her heart jumped in anticipation of seeing Drake before she could stop herself.
He didn’t smile when she opened the door. “Are you ready?”
Her gaze slid up and down his frame. Something was different, but she couldn’t put her finger on it. “Are you all right?”
“Didn’t get much sleep last night.” He glanced behind her. “Mind if I come in for a minute?”
She frowned, stepping back from the door. “I thought we needed to get over to Ashley’s.”
“We do.” He took a chair at the dining room table. “First we need to talk. Agent Bale’s team is already staking out Ashley’s house.”
“No!” Heather gasped, shaking her head. “My sister will know. She’ll kill him.”
“Department 13 has some powerful magic workers. They won’t be seen until they want to be, and they’re not close enough to trip any of her magical wards around the property. The plan is simple. Once you and I are inside, we find Bale, and I’ll press this.” He fished a small black disc no bigger than a shirt button from his pocket. “That’ll be their cue to move in.”
She nodded, all her attention on his face. His eyes were swollen and red, and the healthy bronze tan of his skin appeared…faded? “Are you sure you’re okay? You look…sick. Can you get sick?”
“I can’t. Immortal, remember? I’m fine.” He stood up, avoiding her gaze. “We better get moving.”
He went outside to his truck while she locked her house. She peered up at the empty windows of the home that had been in her family for generations, unsure if she’d ever see them again. She closed her eyes and pressed her forehead to the cool surface of the wood door.
Please be with me today, Grandma. Help me make good choices.
Her body flushed with the warmth of unconditional love, reminding her that she was never truly alone. She lifted her head, turned around, and jogged down the stairs to his truck.
When she got inside, Drake gripped the steering wheel tighter. “I don’t want to leave anything unsaid.” He met her eyes. “So whatever happens today, I’ll keep you safe, and tomorrow, I hope you’ll reconsider the future, because I don’t want one without you in it.”
Heat pooled low in her belly, and that song her mother had tucked away in the cedar chest in the attic whispered through her mind. I remember you. She did remember him. Lifetimes ago, she’d loved him, and their souls found each other again. Who was she to say they wouldn’t manage it in future lifetimes?
She placed her hand on his and squeezed. “I’ll watch your back, too, and tomorrow we’ll talk about the future.”
Drake squeezed her hand back and then let go to start the truck. “I’m the immortal one. You just keep yourself out of harm’s way.”
She fastened her seatbelt, wishing a trip to her twin sister’s house was a happy occasion instead of a threat to their lives. She wanted to make things right with Drake, but there wasn’t time now.
First, she’d have to live through today.
…
Drake kept his focus on the road while Heather directed him through the turns leading to her sister’s place. As they got closer, he mentally worked his way down the checklist of his weapons. His gun was holstered onto his calf, his hammer hung from his belt, and the magic button from Department 13 was safely in his pocket along with the root from Miss Bianca.
After his visit with the root doctor last night, he’d met with Agent Henderson from Bale’s team. She’d gone over their plan for extracting Bale, and her second team would go after Ashley and the figurehead. Drake’s only mission was to keep Heather safe while they found Agent Bale.
Damn it, he was fucking dragging.
He’d had many sleepless nights since the Sea Dog sank. This bone-weariness was different. New. Was this mortality? He couldn’t be sure. It’d been lifetimes ago. He’d forgotten what it was like. His reflexes were slow, and he needed to be his most alert today.
At least he had a backup plan. He patted the magic satchel in his pocket. One way or the other, Heather would live to see tomorrow.
Would he?
Fuck. He’d left one thing unsaid earlier. He hadn’t told her that she was the love of his life. This life and all the others. She’d brought light back into his world and he’d be damned if he was going to fade away again. He didn’t want another minute without her in it.
She didn’t want that. So he’d kept that truth tucked in
