Marcus left his seat at the head of the table and strolled to her side, standing behind her. He pressed his hands down on her shoulders. At first, she tried to shrug him away, but as his fingers rubbed her tight muscles, she settled and let him continue to massage her as he talked.
“We can’t let yesterday blindside us.”
The men zoned in on Marcus as he spoke. He pressed his thumbs and fingers into her shoulders, easing the discomfort there to the point she couldn’t move or talk.
“We have to trust Roman to do what is best for her.”
When he finished, the door banged opened and the Lockheart sisters strode into the room.
“Where is she?” Raine stood next to Zephra, teary-eyed as she searched the room. Raine left her sister’s side and marched to Marcus, wiping her cheek. “Why didn’t you wake me last night? Why did you wait until this morning?”
Marcus dipped his head. Last night, they sat together, not talking much. He had been mostly holding her, and taking care of Nate because everything seemed a blur. Ella couldn’t bring herself to ask Marcus to leave. It didn’t mean she had forgiven him, but right now, with her world spiraling out of control, with her friend gone, having him helped.
“I did go to the medical center, but you were asleep, and when I spoke with Zephra, she told me to wait.”
Raine snapped her head to study her sister. “Why? She’s our sister!”
Zephra walked over and grabbed her hand. “We couldn’t do anything. I knew Isabella was attached to the visions, but I didn’t know how. She’s a piece in a much bigger puzzle. Perhaps, the starting piece in what the Morrigan is planning. When Roman saved her that first time, I knew from that moment on, their fates were sealed. You know, sister, no matter how many times I read the cards, I saw their futures combined. The vampire could have changed her a long time ago, but he didn’t. Yesterday, another vision appeared, and I saw Isabella. I expected Marcus’s call, and when he told me what happened, I knew Isabella’s fate. She isn’t lost to us—you will see.”
Jake scraped his chair back and marched over to the coffee machine, pouring himself a large drink. He strode toward the now open double doors.
“Jake, where are you going?”
The somber man racked his hand through his short hair and flicked his head back to glance at Marcus and the others. “We’re leaving in three hours. I need to shower and change. Nothing else matters. We have to get to the Veil and discuss how we kill this bitch. As for fucking fate, I don’t believe in that shit. I cannot sit here and listen to that crap. I made the decision to send Isabella to Roman. I have to live with that.”
Marcus left Ella’s side and marched over to his friend. “The way I see it, you didn’t make the choice. Roman did. If he didn’t, she would be dead right now. You know that.”
Jake raised his head. His pale-blue eyes were clear and sharp as his nostrils flared. “She may wish she was for all I know.”
Zephra touched his shoulder. “Isabella will accept what is. She’s a fighter, Jake Meadows, and she will not hold what happened against you. You will see.”
Jake stared at the witch, but he didn’t acknowledge her words or smile. He simply walked out of the room.
Marcus headed back to resume his seat. “Raine, how is Steel doing? Any sign of improvement?”
“No—not really. I cannot coax him awake. Whatever is holding him there will not give him up without a fight.”
Ella listened to every word the witch said. She wondered why she had been able to step into the Morrigan if it wasn’t for a good reason. As a soul-shifter, after each death, her soul resided in a new body. Now, being immortal and mated, her powers had grown, allowing her to wander outside of her body and to slip inside others, like an unseen ghost. She needed to harness those skills and use them.
“What if I could locate Steel, and communicate with him? After I gave birth to Nate, I lay dying, but I was able to step outside of my physical form. I visited the moon Goddess Ariana. Recently, I’m certain, I slipped inside the Morrigan’s mind, and I could feel her anger. What if I could recreate this at will? What if I could slip into Steel’s body and mind? I read about this in The Book of Blood. As soul-shifters, we can separate our souls from our physical forms if we take control of our bodies. I want to try this,” Ella shouted out, desperate to help.
Zephra came to her side and touched her arm. At the connection, a warmth flowed through her. She studied the striking red-head with the identical eyes as Isabella. Her face was harder than her friend’s, and she sank her teeth into her lip.
“What you’re explaining is an out-of-body experience. It’s called astral projection. There really is only one way to know for sure. You have to try.”
Marcus left his seat. “What does this entail?”
She studied him, surprised he hadn’t objected. “I lower my heart rate to as slow as possible. I have decreased the speed when I am agitated before. I think I can slow it low enough to enable me to slip out of my physical form. I need to try this. Steel was there for me at a really low point.”
Marcus
