Immortal Dreams (98 page)

I look over to see Deacon is waiting in front of the building.

"Anything?" Devin asks with concern once we reach him.

"Nothing but our people coming in and out.  I've been out here for a while, but Camara has had eyes all over.  I don't know how everyone can vanish except for us," he gripes.

"Come on up, and call Camara as well."

A small pigeon with pale blue eyes tilts its head at us, and Devin smirks.

"Never mind.  She already knows."

Deacon scowls slightly while glaring at the bird.

"That bloody pigeon has been checking out my ass for over five minutes now.  I thought it was a bloomin' pervert."

Devin lets out a small laugh, and even I indulge in a soft chuckle.

The elevator opens and we board it to get whisked upward.  I feel something in the air shift as Devin's eyes darken, apparently seeing something.

"Adisia, I have to tell you something," he says with a scary sort of tone.

"What?" I ask, but the doors open before he can answer.

Gemma is standing front and center as soon as we step out.  Others are congregated around and indulging in the alcohol.

Devin glowers at her, and it almost seems as if they're having a private conversation.  I'm starting to become a little agitated, and I tug on his arm to draw his attention away.

Her eyes connect with my hand tugging on him, and her mouth falls open.

"You're engaged?  You can't be," she scoffs.

Devin's eyes still scold her for something that I have no idea about.

"This shouldn't be so surprising.  I told you I love her.  I've actually told you numerous times.  Let it go," he warns.

He's being incredibly aggressive toward her, and I can only assume it's due to our last interaction.  Deacon nods at Camara as she walks in, and she pats my shoulder on her way to join him.

"I'm going to get a drink," I mumble.

"I'll join you," Devin says gently as he takes my hand in his.

"Are you going to tell me what that was about?" I whisper to allow only his ears to hear.

"Yeah, but not right now," he replies evasively.

I'm curious, but I'm also exhausted.  Everyone is compiling theories and plotting attack ideas.  Devin has pulled out all the stops in an effort to give me the vengeance I seek.

Gemma walks up with a glowing menace exuding from her.  I look around to make sure there aren't any new houseplant gifts lurking close by.

Devin turns and shakes his head very sternly at her to dissuade the unspoken future he has apparently seen.

"Don't try it, Gemma.  I swear, I'll make you regret it," he threatens.

Everyone starts to look toward the newly formed conflict, and Theia walks over to join us.

"Gemma, please leave them alone.  We're here for a meeting.  This isn't the time to rehash old wounds," she scolds.

"I'm not rehashing anything, I promise.  I just wanted to give Devin back the watch he left in California," she says with a smug, satisfied smile.

I can actually hear the pieces of my heart shattering against the floor as she holds the watch in front of him.  My mind begins swirling with all the worst nightmares my mind can fathom.

She was with him in California?  He never told me that.  He never told me anything at all.
  No.  No.  Please, no.

I turn to him as the newly formed tears reach my eyes.  His panicked smoky eyes swirl desperately as they try to explain.

I grab his hand and pull him into the padded room to escape the prying ears of the other immortals before berating him.  As soon as the door shuts, I don't hold back.

"You lying son of a bitch!  How could you?" I wail.

"Adisia, I swear nothing happened," he says with the same cliché opening line I've heard over and over.

"Do you have any idea how many times I've heard that?  Before you try to start again, you should know I've also heard these before too - 'Adisia, I swear that girl meant nothing.'  There's also, 'Adisia, I'm so sorry.  It'll never happen again.'  Oh, but my favorite is, 'Adisia, I never meant to hurt you.'  So how about you just skip the bullshit and tell me the truth," I blare.

His voice is trembling slightly as he answers my tirade.

"I know you've been hurt.  I know you think the worst right now, but I swear on my own life I didn't do anything at all.  She showed up on the last day, and I immediately turned her away.  I left shortly after when Deacon called and told me about your attack.  I didn't give a damn what I left behind.  She went in after I was gone.  She was planning to seduce me, but I wouldn't have ever fallen for it.  She didn't even realize I had come home until the attack last night," he promises.

"Then why didn't you tell me?" I cry.

"When would I have?  It's been crazy since I've been back.  I wasn't going to tell you such a thing after your mother was killed," he gushes.

"How about when you got home?" I say with an ice cold, calm tone.  "I thought you were mad at me, but now I'm wondering if it wasn't your own guilt surging through."

"No.  I was mad.  I was thoroughly pissed.  I wasn't going to add that in on the first night back.  I was planning on having a calm discussion about everything later - after I saw with my own eyes that you were okay.  I was too mad to talk about anything.

"You seduced me and forced that anger away.  I was reveling in the moment you had supplied me with because I'm so in love with you that it's almost maddening.  I had bought that engagement ring, and I had planned on giving it to you in the most glorious way.  Then you spoke of kids, and I decided that moment was the perfect moment.  Then you had the vision, and from there it has been nonstop.  There was nothing to feel guilty about.  I haven't had a chance to tell you," he defends.

"I've heard this song and dance with different words before.  Every time someone cheated, they always had some fantastically elaborate story, reasoning, or flat out lie.  I'm sick of it.  Supposedly the mortals all cheated because of my secreting pheromone overload.  It was so wonderful to find out that it had been my fault they all cheated on me," I roll out with heavy sarcasm.  "I thought it failed to drive immortals crazy.  So, tell me, what's your excuse?"

"Adisia, I never fucking cheated.  I've loved you since the night you curled up in my arms.  Your eyes penetrated through me before you ever had a goddess side.  I love you so much.  Please don't do this right now.  Just trust me," he begs.

"Trust you?  Really?  You can't ask me to trust you when Gemma walks up holding your watch in front of everyone!" I scream.

He sighs out loudly, and I just barge past him on my way to the door.  He grabs my hand in his and brings me to a halt.

"Where are you going?" he demands.

"Any-damn-where but here," I cry.

He pulls me into his arms, and I fight against him.  His forehead presses against mine as he pleads.

"Please don't do this.  Don't leave me.  I told you I'd never let you go.  I meant it," he whispers.

I feel the electricity surging through me, but it fails to strike against him with any force.  His lips close over mine as he tries to force me to give into his divinity.

I cry as I feel my strength building, and it takes all of it to shove him off me.  He slams into the wall behind him, and I almost gasp at my empowered act of aggression.  Then I seize the moment of his shock.

"I never want to see you again," I whimper.

I pull the ring off my finger and drop it to the ground as he starts to climb to his feet.  I flash out the door and slam it behind me.  I cut through the bedroom and flash down the fire escape before jumping from the fourth floor the rest of the way to the ground.

The concrete cracks beneath me, and I flash into the crowded streets to hide from the eyes that can't see me any other way.

I'm so beyond broken.  Broken isn't even in the rearview mirror anymore.

Chapter 14

Crazy Bitches

"Would you care for anything else, Ms. Smith?" the waiter asks as he hands me my third colada for the day.

"No thank you," I mumble as I answer to the fake name.

He blushes and bows his head, but he struggles to leave.  I pull my shades down, and I force the green he can't see back to my eyes.

"Go now," I command.

He promptly walks back toward the bar that is resting on the beach.  The small setup is decorated by the very animated tourists who are laughing wildly.  I tilt my oversized hat down slightly as the seagulls circle overhead.

I hope Camara is not watching through their eyes, but I can't take any chances.

I've made it a week without Devin finding me.  I left with no money, no car, no clothes - other than the ones on my back - and the only identification I had was the necklace my mother gave me with my name engraved on it.

It's amazing how far someone can make it with a little
charm
though, and the Aphrodite stare helped out quite often.  I have to admit, the men have seemed overly entranced by me lately, and they all act as though they can't stay away.  I keep having to force them back. 
Weirdoes
.

I lean back in the chair and watch the waves splash and slide over my toes as the sand beneath my feet draws back slightly with each ebb, and the new sand gracefully eases in to take its place.

Ironically enough, I've found solace in the city and state where Devin was when cheated on me.  I've been in San Diego for three days now without a single hint of any drama chasing on my heels.

I stayed in Los Angeles for a minute before I realized it was swarming with immortals.  I quickly made my way up and down the coast before coming to the scene of the crime.

I don't know if I'm looking for answers, or if I just know this is the last place he would ever look for me.

The sun strokes my legs with its golden beams, promising to shine a tranquil blanket over me.  My small, red bikini has attracted a great deal of unwanted attention, but Aphrodite gets her way sometimes.  My black, sheer cover up ties around my waist, but it doesn't actually cover anything up with its transparency.

Devin has been all I can think or dream about.  He even invades my daydreams.

I sigh as I stare at the waves that make me think about him all the more.  I bet he loves the ocean.  I wonder why he doesn't stay on the ocean.  He's a Poseidon.  It would only make sense for him to live near the sea.

A gushing wave reaches a new height and journeys up my legs, stopping just at my thigh.  I gasp slightly at the unexpected rushing water that has barely crossed over my ankles until now.  I quickly look around as the possibility of Devin being here enters my mind.

That's just silly.  He wouldn't show up and splash me with a wave.

I shake my head free from the foolish thought as a guy walks toward me.  I burn my eyes against his as I use the power of Aphrodite to take from him as I've been taking from so many others.

"Give me your phone," I command with a smile.

His eyes fall prey to mine and his poised posture slumps as he hands me his phone.  I smile as I wave him off.

"You can retrieve it in thirty minutes.  Go away until then," I command again.

He does as I say without question, and I try calling Jake - my brother - for the tenth time.  I sigh when it goes to his voicemail, yet again, and then I dial Clara's number.

"Hello?" she asks.

"Hey, hot stuff," I murmur, trying to sound unaffected by my growing pit of despair.

"It's about damn time you called me," she rants.

I laugh a little at her outburst before responding.

"Miss me?" I tease.

"Yes, and I'm worried about you.  Devin told me to call him if you called me," she sighs.

"Oh.  Please don't call him," I beg.

"I'm not, but I think you should.  This shit you're in is crazy.  Immortals, tornadoes, fucking poisonous vines... all of it's scaring the crap out of me," she blurts out.

"How do you know about the tornadoes and poisonous vines?"

"Devin.  He told me what happened up to the point where you left him.  Do you really think he cheated on you?  Because I really want to believe he didn't," she mumbles.

"I really want to believe he didn't, too, but we both know my track record.  I don't want to talk about Devin or our broken relationship right now.  I want to talk about you and Henry.  Has he finally gotten his head out of his ass long enough to plan a date for your honeymoon?" I snark.

She giggles lightly.  "We're in Paris right now."

My eyes widen.  "Oh.  Wow.  My bad.  When did you leave?"

"About three days ago.  Devin signed a contract to be a silent partner in the new condominium endeavor Henry's embarking on.  Devin said he'd only sign if Henry promised to take me to Paris for a month.  Henry thought he was joking until Devin handed him the keys to his Parisian home.  It's incredible here, and... there are pictures of you everywhere," she murmurs.

My mouth dries as her words connect fully with my slow-to-process mind.

"Pictures of me?" I gasp.

"Yes.  Most of them are from my wedding.  There are huge portraits of you and him dancing, laughing, and kissing everywhere.  There are some of you sleeping, and there're some of you when you're not paying attention.  It's a little creepy sweet," she sighs.

My heart is almost thudding out of my chest now.  Devin got Clara away from the danger by signing with Henry.  He has pictures of me all over his home in Paris.  I'm really starting to regret calling her now.  I felt so much stronger ten minutes ago.

"I need to let you go.  I borrowed a phone, and I need to call Mom and Dad."  I just need an excuse to get away from the Devin conversation.

"Do you need me to send you any money?" she asks with sincerity.

I smirk a little as I think of how easy it has been to acquire anything I want with my new ability.

"No.  I'm fine.  Have you talked to Jake?"

"I spoke to him last week.  He was covering a story in Kuwait."

I frown slightly.  I hate not being able to talk to him.  I need to make sure he stays safe.

"Okay.  I'll talk to you later," I grumble.

"Call me if you need me," she insists.