The door creaked open and a small man shuffled in, closing the door behind him.
I frowned.
This is who Gabriel sends?
The insignificant man had sandy brown hair that was a little too long to be kept neat. When his sad copper-colored eyes met mine, my heart cried for him. He looked like a beaten dog trying to please his evil master.
Aylin. Connor's strength tugged me toward him.
“We've...”
I jerked back from the pull of Connor’s force.
“... waited for you.” The man tilted his head as I planted my feet firmly on the concrete floor.
This was my chance to get answers. I was sure I could get this man to talk like a drunk on dollar draft night at a bar.
I needed answers. I fought against Connor's pull.
Was this man like Cassiel? Held against his will? I wanted to rescue him from Gabriel’s grasp. The bastard!
I need you. The timbre of Connor's voice sent shivers through my body. His power pulled me from the cell into a powerful transport. My body felt as if every molecule, every fiber, every cell was being broken down, shifted through space, reorganized and placed back together. But better. Stronger.
How was that possible? I couldn't transport even with my power.
“You may be born with abilities, but true power is earned and felt in here.” Uriel's voice echoed through my mind. I could see him placing his hand over his heart.
“You were meant for more.” His voice whipped around me like a hurricane, and I was in the eye. Peaceful in the middle, but chaotic, vibrant on the exterior. The power to destroy and conquer overwhelmed me.
Our bond tugged me again, pulling me through the funnel’s pandemonium. I struggled, creating friction like two magnets attracted to each other even as they fought against the magnetism. My heart flickered like a light bulb about to lose power as I went flying.
The journey didn't take me to my love, or to a life I knew. Instead, it took me through my own circles of hell. Each one pulling me through its own form of acceptance. I had to face the cataclysm of losing my parents, of raising Drew and watching him turn into the man he was. Of going to school both in the human world and in the magical one. Mastering the creed of the Table of Seven, then crashing back down on earth to be an enforcer.
I rose higher through my own circles.
Of sacrifice. Living my life to serve others. Powell's pack. My brother. Of sacrificing to the Table and having them banish me to find passion and tenderness. Sacrificing my barriers to truly experience love.
My body heated with the acknowledgement that I was loved. My pain lessened.
I blasted through my anger and sped higher.
Being able to love unconditionally.
I surged through the fiery depths.
Forgiving the Table for their manipulation. Forgiving Gabriel for his evilness.
The soot separated to allow my ascent. My skin heated, like lava ready to burst forth from a volcano. I blasted through the cinders, rising strong, powerful, determined.
Connor's presence welcomed me in a lover's embrace. He was the coolness to my heat.
Together, we were power. United, our bond replenished my magic. I was Reborn.
The strong force lowered me back to reality and the ground.
“Wow!” Wide-eyed, Connor wrapped his arms around me.
I held him close, but blinked against the onslaught of the sun. The sky seemed brighter. The leaves rustled louder. The wind tickled my ears. My heart blossomed with love. Even Connor's minty smell seemed stronger, enveloping me with his comfort.
This new me was someone to be reckoned with. I returned Connor's grin.
“How'd you pull me from the cell?” I side-stepped the fact that he needed to work on his delivery, because I never wanted to return to my own hell.
“I'm not so sure it was me.” He handed me the blue sapphire. When both of our hands touched, the cool stone burst into flames and exploded, before being absorbed into our bond. The warmth heightened until both of us glowed a golden hue, as if the sun kissed our skin.
Chapter Seventeen
Aylin
My heart throbbed almost as much as thoughts of new awareness raced through my mind. With a shaky hand, I cupped Connor's cheek. He was mine. His strong arms wrapped around my waist and pulled me flush against his hard body. I was a burning inferno. He was a cool splash of water. We balanced each other. Perfectly. Grasping the back of his neck, I guided his lips to mine. His tongue mingled with mine
Something crawled across my ankle, slithering around my foot. I pulled away from Connor long enough to give a slight kick, but the creepy coldness tightened around my ankle. I screamed and kicked harder. Glancing down, I eyed a serpent, a fucking snake with its neck flared and its fangs ready to strike.
I pulled away from Connor and screamed. I jerked back, lost my footing, and fell onto the rubble. Connor grabbed a charred section of a two-by-four and swung it at the snake's head. But not quickly enough. Its fangs punctured my thigh. I screamed again.
Its mission accomplished, the serpent uncoiled and slithered away. Blood oozed from the two wounds as poison spread through my veins.
“Fuck!” Connor shouted.
“No kidding.” I gripped my leg in a shoddy attempt at a tourniquet. Pain blurred my vision. My body fought the excruciating onslaught of the poison. My stomach churned, and I forced back bile. Once again, my world toppled out of my control.
Connor reached for my hand, but I shook my head. I didn't want to infect him. My thoughts mirrored the tumult of a maelstrom, making it impossible to think clearly. I sensed the battle within my body. My powers formed an army, fighting the poison, keeping it from spreading through my veins and piercing my heart.
Instead of one Connor, there were two. I squinted, trying to make out which was the real one and which one was a decoy.
A
