My Immortal (9 page)

"Yes, and I still love you in a bad, bad
way!" I screech brokenly.

He throws his hands up and squats down, head
in his hands, elbows on his knees.

I hate that I blurted that out but I can't
take it back. Just something else for me to be guilty about, after
he just asked me not to make this harder on him, what did I do?

I had to go and make it harder on him.

"Do you want to know the ugly person I have
become, Alexia? Is it not enough that I was a half-ling?" He shakes
his head.

"Well, since it obviously didn't deter you,
let me enlighten you on a few things that have happened since I was
just a half-ling confessing my love for an off-limits angel wed to
someone else: I have gotten addicted to Black Poison, I have been
raped and I have raped, I have fathered a score of children whom
did not make it because their mother could not have my blood, I did
not remember their mother's names nor did I really care, I have
been tortured, cut, burned, and injected with many different
things. I have also drank from slaves and windows and mates of
others. Now I have become some sort of freak weapon against the
Hell Horde, with evil powers like the monsters that you saw on the
way in. Truth is, I am not better than them, Alexia, I am way, way,
way
worse.

Eyes wide, trying to absorb all of this
horrible information, a final tear curves a path down my dirt
stained cheek and in another blur of motion he's there, palm up,
catching my tear as it falls from my jaw.

"…And someone as pure as you, should not be
spilling one single tear onto this dirty floor because of me. I'm
tainted, everything inside me is…dirty."

I know he is right, but I just don't care.
Redemption is always an option.

• Chapter Seven
  

I watch him draw patterns into the dirt floor
out of the corner of my eye. He has been at it for quite sometime,
impossible to know how long though, without seeing the sun for time
or having a watch. He has erased it and started over a handful of
times and from what I can tell it looks like some kind of maze.

"It's not a maze; it's a map of this place
from my memory."

Ah.

"Wow, how do you know it?"

"I have been down here a long time and I paid
attention when they moved me around inside of it, hoping that one
day it would be useful for escape."

"Wow, you have an amazing memory then," I
say.

His drawing hand pauses and he glances at me
smirking.

Even though he didn't remember me when I
finally found him.

He sighs.
I knew you were familiar, but I
had chosen to erase you from my memory…

My stomach drops painfully as his words dawn
on me.

…
not because I wanted to forget you,
Alexia, it was for your own good! You're killing me here! How am I
supposed to save you when you won't let me!

I scoff through mind-link, hoping I figured
out how to do it and rolled my eyes just in case he didn't get
it.

A noise from Jezebel's direction draws our
attention to her and she is finally waking up. She rolls to her
stomach and pushes up with her hand until she is sitting on her
bottom with her back to the wall adjacent to us.

I thought my day couldn't get any worse…and
that's what I get for thinking.

Her eyes land on us with a look of confusion
in them and then in a split second her expression changes to
realization. Her eyes dart from me to Shadow, then to the proximity
between us, landing on me with an evil glare.

Shadow clears his throat and her attention
leaves me for a second, thankfully. I really don't want to deal
with this right now. Her jealousy and my jealousy are just the
same. Plus, I couldn't deal if he chose her in any way over me. She
already has more of him than I have ever had, even if it was just a
little piece of him, it was a piece for her and only her. He gave
himself to her in a way he will never and has never given me and
the knowledge hurts like hell.

And I press that back into the little black
vault inside my mind where I am going to store all memories of
Shadow and I and keep them locked away, hopefully to be forgotten
forever.

He glances at me with an unfamiliar
expression that looks a lot like…pain? But it was gone just as fast
as it was there.

"How do you feel?" he asks her suddenly,
voice deep and gruff.

She smiles sweetly at him and I want to tell
her to just save it. Save her breath too because if I can't have
him surely she can't either.

"I feel good mentally, but physically I'm
drained." She crawls over to her clothes and finally gets
dressed.

"Can…you help me…stand up?"

He stands and dusts his hands and knees off.
"Of course."

In a flash he appears next to her, hand
offered for support.

I guess he can't just move normally now that
he's figured out his new skills, but who am I to complain over
something so miniscule.

Just an observation.

She sets her dainty hand in his and he easily
pulls her up. However, instead of standing she falls into him, arms
around his ribs.

He seems to be holding all of her weight and
she seems to be enjoying him in her hug-like position as they walk
back to me and ease down to sit beside me. She tries to keep her
arms around him and rest her head on his shoulder but he wiggles
out of it and then pats her head awkwardly before he moves to stand
in front of us.

He glances from me to her and then does it
over again.

His arms are crossed and it puts his biceps
on display as well as his amazing stomach and broad shoulders. I do
not appreciate that she gets to enjoy this view as much as I know
she is.

He is finally about to say something, and
just as he opens his mouth the cell door explodes inward. I watch
in slow motion as it heads straight for me. I distantly hear Shadow
roar and then he is there, arm around me with the other extended to
knock the door away. It splinters into a thousand tiny pieces as he
covers me in the safe protection that only he can offer me.

Shocked and scared only one thought enters my
mind:
I told you I would never let anything hurt you
.

And it wasn't even my thought.

Before I can even form a reply, the dust
clears from the explosion and to my amazement a very familiar
figure is standing there.

Gabriel.

Gabriel!

"Aw look, lover-boy has come to save you,"
Shadow snarls, loud enough for Gabe to hear.

"Yes, someone had to do the saving. Didn't
look like you were getting very far so I thought I would, lend a
hand."

At the mention of lending a hand, Gabriel's
hand extends down to me. I take it and he pulls me up into his
arms.

My heart speeds up with joy and excitement at
seeing my best friend and official angel husband. I am also elated
that he is here to break us out.

"How did you find us?! How did you blow up
the cell? How are we getting out?"

He laughs deeply at all of my questions.
"I'll explain later, but we have to hurry now. Who's that?" He
tilts his head towards Jezebel who is still leaning on Shadow for
"support".

"Oh, no one really," I reply in sing-song
voice.

That's funny
, Shadow sends my way.

"You'll tell me later?" Gabe asks
hopefully.

I want to curl my lip up at his curiosity
over her but instead I manage to nod my head choppily.

"Well if Shadow's girlfriend can't stand on
her own he will just have to carry her because we have to leave
now. Follow me."

He didn't give any of us time to agree or
disagree to that little statement but he darts out of the cell and
I follow him fighting the urge to look back.

"Gabe," Shadow calls. Just one deep, velvety
word and Gabe stops dead in his tracks and turns around in
response.

And so do I, of course.

"If you want the girl to come, you will carry
her, not me."

--Silence--

"You've got to be kidding me! You would leave
the girl
behind before carrying her, even though she is
wounded?" Gabe asks unbelievingly.

"She's not wounded and I don't like to be
touched. Take it or leave it if you care about her so much."

Part of me rejoices in the fact that Shadow
doesn't really give a damn about her but part of me can't believe
he is being so callous, especially since she could possibly be
carrying his child.

"She is not with my child, Alexia. I would be
able to smell the change in her blood with my new "skills" as you
call them."

Everyone's mouths just drop and the situation
becomes extremely tense.

Oh my gods, you did not just say that out
loud!

She needed to hear it. She's hooked on me
like a leech and she is going to drain the life out of me soon. I
can't handle it. She annoys me. I am extremely relived that my
child doesn't grow within her, and I am betting you are relieved as
well.

Well, yes of course but…

Quiet Sweetling. We must move, we are about
to have company.

Gabe remains quiet as he scoops her up and
since I know him so well, I know that he decides to just talk to me
about this later instead of embarrassing the poor girl even
further. His manners are impeccable, being raised with such class
and sophistication and all.

And he has a really good heart, too.

Just as Gabe turns with her secured in his
arms, Shadow and I follow behind him and we hastily make our way
through the underground maze. We make rights and lefts and take
certain tunnels and veer off of many forks in the path. Just as I
think I cannot run this fast for a second longer, I am lifted off
of my feet and carried on.

I look into my savior's bright red eyes with
confusion and a thankful heart.

He glances down and winks at me before
looking back up to pay attention, following Gabe.

But I thought…

Just don't think, Sweetling, it gets you
into trouble.

Urgh!

A deep,
very
sexy, male laugh echoes
through my mind, and it feels so good to hear him laugh again, that
I cannot stay frustrated with him.

What seems like an eternity later, the
darkness starts fading into light, the farther down the tunnel we
run. Finally, we reach the end and pause to walk up the steps
slowly. Gabe is in front still carrying Jezebel and he gently sets
her onto her feet. Before either of them can turn and see Shadow
holding me, he drops me unceremoniously and I barely land on my
feet in a crouch.

I shoot him a glare and he has the nerve to
wink at me again!

The boy makes my blood boil!

…and my heart fracture into tiny little,
irreparable pieces.

Shadow frowns, suddenly and I desperately
hope with what little pride I have left that he didn't hear that
last part…

"All clear," Gabe whispers and proceeds up
the stairs with us close behind.

"I had the Guards called to another location
so we have a very small window of opportunity to fly over the wall
in the East sector, near the training cliff."

"Okayyyy," I drag out, seriously doubting
this plan. "So am I correct to assume that the archers won't be on
the wall?"

He checks his watch. "I think so. That's the
East sector over there," he point straight ahead about four hundred
yards. "I'm not sure exactly how long the window will be once they
realize it was a rouse and head back to their posts. But they
should have rushed to the emergency about five minutes ago."

"So we probably have no time left," Shadow
informs.

"It's likely, but what other choice do we
have?"

No one answers.

"We just have to figure out how to get
the
girl
over the wall. I could carry her but not that far and
there's a risk we wouldn't clear the wall without getting an
arrow," Gabe says.

"My name is Jezebel," she says. "And you
don't need to carry me again." She then shifts into an exotic
female demon form, winking at Shadow.

"She's a shifter," I inform him, with not too
little venom in my tone.

And she's stupid. She thinks Shadow is a
demon, but she really has no idea. I like it when she embarrasses
herself and she doesn't even realize it yet, because I can savor it
until she does realize it in the very near future.

"Questions now…" Gabe says.

"Answers later," I reply and earn a
condescending look from Shadow.

Without accepting that stupid look from
Shadow any longer, I mount my wings and take off behind Gabe and I
fly as fast as my wings will take me.

It's so good to see the sky again, with the
beautiful blue and the fluffy white clouds. The wind is a familiar
caress to my skin and I didn't realize how much I missed flying.
Even the colors of the green grass and the gray wall coming nearer
and nearer are a relief to see after spending so much time below
ground in a dirty cell.

And man I can't wait to take a shower.

Gabe is in front of me and I can't help but
appreciate his strong, white wings and the power they exert as they
flap up and down straining to fly as fast as he is. His back
muscles glisten in the sun and flex with every motion. He glances
over his shoulder at me and for the first time I notice that
something isn't right.

He has a panicked expression on his face and
my attention moves to the wall where I see two men with crossbows
aimed at us.

I cringe because my first thought is not
about my safety or Gabe's or Shadows.

No.

My first thought is that I hope Jezebel gets
hit.

I really hope you know who didn't hear
that.

My second thought brings me to my safety and
what to do.

Gabe starts a zigzag pattern and I follow
suit. I look over my shoulder and only see Jezebel as she
frantically zigzags behind us, struggling to keep up.