Centaur Legacy (36 page)

I closed my eyes, letting my
body anticipate every zing of electricity his movements
created. 
 
Taking in a breath, I shivered. 
 
His lips found mine, and I
melted into him, becoming a part of him, letting him take me to an
indescribable height. 
 
He groaned, pulling me
closer. 
 
My skin exploded in tingles as he traced my neck with his
tongue. 
 
His breath came in my ear, catching then
releasing. 
 
He tugged the edge of my shirt and slid the rough edge of his
fingers along my abdomen.

I stilled.

He pulled
back. 
 
“Is this okay?”

My heart fluttered and my
breath stopped. 
 
I dipped my chin in a slow
nod.

He smiled, his blue eyes
flaring with desire. 
 
I found myself on my
back. 
 
He lifted his shirt over his head and placed it under
mine. 
 
Then he lay beside me.

Every inch of me burst into
lightning. 
 
I inched closer, running my palm down his
chest. 
 
The slight dusting of hair tickled my
fingers. 
 
I got caught up in the beauty of him, exploring the hills and
vales of his body. 
 
I stopped at his belly button
and looked at him.

His breath was so shallow, I
could barely hear him breathing, but I could see the effect I had
on him. 
 
This was a power I had never known. 
 
Well, not never, but I wanted
the power this time. 
 
I wanted to make love to
him. 
 
He was my future. 
 
I couldn’t allow myself to
focus on things that would make us both
miserable.

I gave him a shy glance, not
really knowing how to start this. 
 
All I’d ever focused on was
stopping myself from making a mistake.

His gaze met
mine. 
 
The intensity sent a shockwave to my bones.

That’s when I noticed the
tiny green line circling his blazing
irises. 
 
I took a second glance just to make
sure. 
 
It was still there. 
 
My stomach turned to
acid.

Muscles hardening, I
scrambled away from him and leapt to my
feet. 
 
My body surged with the power inside me. Never had I
connected so strongly with the elements. 
 
Both my hands lit up in
blinding white light. 
 
My breath still hitched in my
throat. 
 
I could hardly believe what was happening.

She got him
too. 
 
Ainessa had Luke
 
and
 
Zach under her
spell.

His eyes flew
wide. 
 
“It’s not what you’re thinking,
love. 
 
I know how it looks, but she doesn’t have control of
me.”

I shook my head at
him. 
 
“I can’t trust you.”

He stretched his hand out
toward me. 
 
“Rayla, please. 
 
Come back to
me.”

I took a step away from
him. 
 
“I can’t risk it.”

His muscles tightened and he
stiffened straight as a stick before his body
convulsed. 
 
I knew what was happening, but I still didn’t want to believe
it.

A wicked smile stretched
across his handsome face. 
 
Zach no longer gazed back at
me. 
 
His voice came different, no longer holding the light lilt I
was used to. 
 
“So
surprised?” 
 
He stood, taking his time as if we had all
day.

My fear for him tore from my
throat. 
 
“You have to fight her, Zach!”

His body stepped
closer. 
 
“I’m afraid Ammon’s not here right
now. 
 
If you’d like to leave a message please hang up and try your
call again.”

My brows rose; she was
trying to be funny. 
 
Well I sure as heck wasn’t
laughing. 
 
“Why are you doing this to your own
brother?”

“
Ha! 
 
I’ve already told you he
doesn’t deserve to be called that.”

Still, she had never said
why. 
 
“I don’t know what happened between you two, but you can’t be
that cold.” 
 
Something strange crossed Zach’s
eyes. 
 
He was fighting her—I could see it. 
 
Maybe if I gave him some
time. 
 
“I don’t see why you think you need my
power. 
 
You seem to have plenty on your own.”

“
I know what you’re doing,
Rayla, and it’s not going to work. 
 
Ammon cannot break my
connection at the moment. 
 
I’m sorry to interrupt your
little tryst, but I needed to speak with
you. 
 
I
tried earlier yet was sent away for my
efforts. 
 
When you did not accept my gift, I had no other
choice.”

Full of disbelief, my eyes
narrowed. 
 
“You’re gift?” 
 
I shook my
head. 
 
“I should have known.” 
 
I’d considered it, but the
note had thrown me off. 
 
I’d been slipping up a little
too much lately. 
 
I should have never come
here. 
 
I should have fled with Heath. 
 
As if a rushing tide, my
feelings for him flowed through me, lighting my body with his
fire. 
 
“I really have nothing to say to you,
Ainessa. 
 
You may have gained acceptance within the fae courts, but you
will never have it from me.”

Zach’s face twisted in
anger. 
 
“You self-righteous little twit. 
 
I don’t care what you think or
what you want. 
 
You are nothing more than a
means to bring fae into true power. 
 
I know your
secret.” 
 
I seemed to have many secrets I wasn’t aware of
lately. 
 
“Human blood does not flow in your
veins. 
 
It is only a matter of time before I will know who your sire
is.”

A shiver hissed over
me. 
 
“Why should I care about that?”

She
scoffed. 
 
“No point in playing the fool with
me. 
 
When I have him, I’ll no longer need
you. 
 
I
will create my own race to rule.” 
 
Her ring flared to life,
rivaling the blue sky above. 
 
“Few things remain between me
and my new world. 
 
You think you are powerful,
yet you know nothing of power. 
 
You’re precious humans will
succumb to me, just like you will.”

She reached for me, but I
skidded away. 
 
“You’re
insane.”

“
Most genius is labeled as
insanity, Rayla.” 
 
Her compulsion slid up against
my mind, seeking a crack in my armor. “Think of
it: 
 
a
world we could control together without the restraints of a creator
who does not care.”

Yeah, ‘cause she’d make such
a great god. 
 
Um, no
thanks. 
 
“I don’t want to be a god, Ainessa. 
 
I just want to live my life,
free.”

She threw up a
hand. 
 
“Freedom! 
 
So many claim to want freedom,
yet those same people will stand in line to have those freedoms
stripped one by one merely for money or false power or
fame. 
 
I used to have hope for the human race, but it has withered
away in recent times.”

Anger flared inside me,
charring my veins with acidic fire. 
 
“You don’t get to decide what
happens to humans or anyone. 
 
I will slit my own throat
before I will let you have my power.”

“
You are fighting a losing
battle. 
 
It would be so much better if you just
concede. 
 
I will spare your family along with any other person you deem
worthy of living.”

“
Everyone has a right to
live!”

She
laughed. 
 
“Come now. 
 
You can’t possibly be that
naïve. 
 
There will have to be casualties for my plan to
work. 
 
My followers need bodies, after all.”

I stared at her with
unbelieving eyes. 
 
“Your followers already have
bodies.”

A chuckle split the
morning. 
 
“Most do, that is true, but immortality without the ability
to progress is an unbelievable hell. 
 
I do not expect you to
understand. 
 
You will come to submit. 
 
All do.”

“
I won’t.”

A dark smirk covered her
brother’s face. 
 
“You’ve been able to resist; I
will give you that, but you have no chance of keeping it
up. 
 
No
matter where you go, I will find you. 
 
No matter how you fight, I
will win. 
 
I’m offering you a chance to save those you
love. 
 
Why do you care about people you have never
met?”

“
I’m not a monster.”

“
Ho. 
 
A monster, am
I? 
 
I
used to have such ideals…until I saw what happens to those who do
not take what they want. You will come to see as your mother
has.” 
 
She reached out her hand. 
 
“I will take the pain away,
Rayla. 
 
Let me be your champion. 
 
Together we can create the
world we both want.”

I shook my head, backing
away.

Her ring flared and energy
clamped around my body like a tractor
beam. 
 
“One moment of contact with you is all I
need. 
 
There is no escape.”

My feet shot forward before
I could stop them. 
 
My mind raced, searching for
some spec of hope. 
 
I remembered my angel giving
me a spec of light; however, I still didn’t know what it was
for. 
 
I
reached for that spec, but it was just beyond my
grasp. 
 
Giving up on that, I summoned my power, pulling everything to
the surface. 
 
My heels dug into the
grass. 
 
She was only three feet away. 
 
Any further and she could
reach out and take me. 
 
Our struggle intensified until
my mind stretched to a snapping point.