Shadow Revealed (The Enlightened Species Book Two) (13 page)

Then he saw her fatigue. “Innanna?” The female was dead on her feet, a situation made even worse by the energy she’d just expended to see him eye to eye. Fates, he was such an ass when it came to her.

“It’s fine. It’s just been a long couple of days.” Placing her hands on Gil’s forehead, she closed her eyes. “If you could please drop your shields for me. I am too tired to push through.” Gil gave a momentary hesitation, knowing all the fantasies he had swimming in his head featuring this female. Fuck, whatever. Let her see if she wanted to. He dropped his shields to her.

****

The vision of a small bubble of energy came into view. It was grief stricken, terrorized, pulsing in shades of gray against a pitch-black backdrop. Then a white light entered the darkness. “Who’s there? Who are you? Has Zakel killed you too?” The energy’s disembodied voice bounced off the darkness surrounding it. It was Etana. Gil watched the scene with rapt attention.

“I am here to guide you into the universe. Your spirit energy, your very soul will be free,” came the voice of the white light.

“Who is that second voice?”
Gil asked Innanna telepathically.

“
That is the voice of the Fates, the mouthpieces of the universe.”
Innanna’s voice was weak, and her exhaustion pounded at him. She sounded annoyed with the Fates. He’d never heard her call anyone except him a bad name, and even then she’d only said it in jest. He wondered if, to Innanna, “mouthpiece” was a bad name.

Etana’s pulse changed from gray to purple. “I will be again with my Enlil?” came the echo of Etana’s voice. The white light was silent. “Or is that not the case?” More silence. “He still lives, doesn’t he?” Her color changed from purple to violet, though the white light remained silent. “I know he still lives. He would never risk Ninlil, and the bond with her would keep him from releasing his soul. I would give anything for him to find happiness.”

The white light flashed brightly as if winking. “Are you offering a sacrifice, Etana Lil?”

Etana’s color wavered to purple again. “I have nothing to sacrifice now.”

“If you did, would you offer it for the future happiness of your bloodmate? Even if it meant never being with him again in any life form?” The white light flashed again. Gil felt anger. Why would the Fates punish his aunt and uncle like this? They had endured enough.

“Just watch, Gil.”
Innanna reached out mentally to calm him, her voice weaker still.

“Yes! Without question the answer would be yes. I always believed that a bloodmate should have the hope and opportunity of finding happiness and love again, even finding another bloodmate.” Etana’s color had turned to pink while she spoke of something Gil had not known was so important to her.

The white light just floated for several seconds before it responded. “Again I ask, if you had something to offer in sacrifice, would you d—.”

Etana cut off the heavenly form mid-sentence. “I would sacrifice anything to give the Volaticus people the chance to love and bloodmate anew beyond the death of their mates, beginning with my own bloodmate Enlil.” There was determination in Etana’s voice; it reminded him of Jess.

The white light blinked brightly again, and Gil got the impression it was communicating in some way unknown. Gil felt love emanating from the white light. “Etana, you have a self-less and compassionate spirit energy. Your purity of soul has been strong enough to survive the captivity within this creature without corruption. The universe is prepared to offer you thus: You may come with me now. I will release your energy back to the universe source. Your soul will remain cognizant, enabling you and Enlil to re-unite if and when his living energy ceases. Or you may remain within the psyche of this monster for as long as it survives. A test, if you will. Should you remain pure within, for as long as it takes your people to find and kill this creature, the universe will accept your sacrifice and grant your desire. However, once granted, your soul and your energy spirit will be absorbed by the universe, and you will be no more.”

Etana’s color remained a vibrant pink. “I would ask one concession from the universe.” The white light dulled, as if angry. Etana’s voice continued without fear. “Should my bloodmate’s living energy end for any reason prior to the death of my captor, Zakel, then the agreement is void. You retrieve me from within and allow my soul to re-unite with Enlil.”

The white light flashed brightly. Gil was sure he’d see spots from it when he opened his eyes. The voice came again. “The universe agrees to the terms. I ask for the last time. Are you offering a sacrifice?”

“I am offering a sacrifice.” Etana never hesitated.

“Sacrifice accepted. We are in accord.” The white light then swelled to fully encompass the space, swallowing the pink glow of Etana for just a moment before vanishing. Etana’s pink glow pulsed with renewed strength in the darkness.

****

Gil opened his eyes to see Innanna collapse. He quickly swept her falling form into his arms. The strain of having shared her vision with him in her weakened state had left her body covered in a cold sweat. Her halter-top, saturated, became sheer, pebbled nipples outlined against the fabric. Magnificent. Slowly her size reduced to her true form, leaving Gil holding the most beautiful, delicate, amazing female ever born. The very face that haunted his dreams, the same one he inevitably ended up envisioning on the body of any female he relieved himself with. He knew the view of those nipples would beckon him to suckle for all time. Of course it could never actually be with Innanna herself; the female was way out of his league.

Innanna’s protégé, Miguel, came through the door, followed by Jorie and her parents Moira and Napoleon. “Oh, great Fates, what happened to her?” Miguel dashed up, intending to take his mentor’s body from Gil’s arms. The male’s head snapped up and he narrowed his eyes at Gil. Gil became aware that he was growling at Miguel. “You have no claim, Gilgamesh.” The pre-cog and Oracle-in-training lifted his chin. Was the guy suicidal? Gil could snap his neck, and he would if Miguel tried to take Innanna again.

“Nor do you.” Gil’s normally soothing cadence had been replaced with the commanding tone he used to direct warrior units. “She needs blood.”

Moira held her wrist toward Innanna. “I will feed her,” she offered. Though an iron-rich Hulven, Moira was an anomaly unto herself, the only known Hulven with no psychic ability.

Jess stepped forward. “She needs more than blood; she needs a psychic boost.” The sharp points of Jess’s dentes slid into her mouth. Before anyone could put up an argument, she punched into her wrist and held the punctures against Innanna’s lips. Instinctively Innanna drew from the blood source.

This was what Gil loved his cousin for. Jess was so like Etana—compassionate generous, and tough as nails. That didn’t stop her from being the world’s biggest pain in the ass. Gil split his attention between watching Jess and keeping tabs on Innanna’s improving strength.

Jess’s eyes took on a soft emerald green glow as the combined psychic energy of her and Innanna overwhelming Jess’s young psyche shields easily. Gil noticed she followed her training from Enlil. He could feel the moisture level in the air increase. Jess was focusing on the water particles in the atmosphere. Merging them, spinning them, heating them until they began to grow into rain clouds, sending the energy as pulses into the clouds. Lighting strike after lightning strike hit the waves of the ocean visible just outside the balcony doors. The clouds rolled toward land, the sky turned black. Then Innanna broke from Jess’s vein, sealing the wound.

Jess’s eyes cleared, she swayed. “Holy shit, maybe you didn’t need a psychic boost. I feel like I just got hooked to jumper cables.” Miguel reached out to steady her.

“Damn, lil’ Jess. Enlil’s been workin’ the shit outa ya, huh?” Gil complemented her. She stuck her tongue out at him.

Shane must have felt Jess’s distress. The pathetically joined-at-the-hip, newly mated male appeared directly before Jess, ready to fight for her safety, looking around the room, trying to determine who the threat was.

Ninlil’s soothing voice was amused as she patted Shane’s shoulder. “Down boy, she’s fine.”

Shane released his death grip on Jess enough for her to draw in a full breath. “Shane, you’re squishing me.” Jess tried to wiggle free. Shane seemed to loosen his hold further, not releasing Jess entirely.

“Brother.” Miguel stepped forward, placing his hand to Shane’s shoulder in embrace.

Shane looked from Miguel to Innanna, semi-conscience and lying limply in Gil’s arms. “What are you doing here, Miguel?” If anyone had reason to fear Innanna, it was Shane. The last time Innanna showed up in Shane’s life, he and Jess had been separated during Jess’s Becoming. It was something the couple had agreed to do for a greater good, but you couldn’t blame the guy for being wary.

Miguel looked over to Gil and Innanna, smirking slightly. “I was sent to retrieve Innanna. She had a vision right after Enlil left the gathering. When she had recovered, she begged off sharing the vision, claiming to be too tired. Her exhaustion was apparent, so she was given leave to rest before being summoned. When she didn’t answer the summons, it was discovered that she was here. I offered to come in Leanna and Adonai’s stead.” Miguel retained eye contact with Gil.

Shane finally asked. “Why would the High Speaker and the Presiding Oracle come after Innanna personally?”

Gil answered, still holding eye contact with Miguel. “She’s their daughter.” Innanna weakly pushed against his chest, drawing his attention to her in a feeble attempt to withdraw from his arms.

“You need to let me go with Miguel. I must face the consequences for my actions.”
She used the more intimate form of communication with Gil. Thankfully he had remained open to the telepathic line she had used in sharing her vision.

“What are ya talkin’ about ... consequences?”
He peered at her angelic face, her huge violet eyes pleading with him.

“I did not have approval to share that vision. I am violating my calling.”
That didn’t explain anything.

“I donna understand. Why?”
Gil’s brows drew together in confusion.

Innanna sighed.
“If I share all with you. I could lose my gift.”

Silently he tried to grasp what the small enigma meant. Had she risked her gift when she showed him what had happened to Etana? What was the deal with Oracles, Fates, and the universe? Why did everything have to be so cryptic? Gil shook his head
“Ya need ta esplain ta me what’s goin on. Will ya come with me ta somewhere private?”

Innanna swallowed. Gil watched her, sure she was going to tell him no. Females like Innanna did not go into the private suite of a male like Gil alone. Except that one time, but that had gone real bad, real fast. He could have asked her to go on a walk instead, but that was a no-go with Jess’s storm raging. He was about to tell her never mind when she nodded. Gil nearly leapt for the door.

“Miguel, ya can stay an’ wait fer her ta rest, or ya can go back an’ tell ‘em she will come when she’s damn good an’ ready. Either way, Innanna ain’t leavin’ this house in her current condition. Even Jess’s blood weren’t enough ta restore her strength.” He headed toward the door. “I’m gonna set her up with a bed an’ blood. Then we can all figure out what ta do next. Got it?” His message was clear. The do-not-disturb sign was up.

Miguel quirked another half grin, his eyebrows raised. “Got it,” he said unnecessarily.

Gil strode out, leaving the stunned faces of his family in his wake. His thoughts were centered on the bundle curled into his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck, resting her head to his shoulder. He couldn’t believe the trust she was showing him. He sure as shit didn’t deserve trust or anything else from her.

It had taken every ounce of his control not to groan out loud at the intimate feel of her surrendered to his keeping. She took a leap of faith agreeing to be in private with him, especially in her weakened condition. By wrapping her arms around him, she displayed that she was doing it of her own will to the others. Unable to resist, Gil pressed a kiss to her forehead, drawing her scent into his lungs. She smelled of night jasmine, sultry. Why hadn’t he ever noticed that before? They had seen each other thousands of times. Danced together, laughed together. They were pretty good friends until Etana had died. Gritting his teeth against the onslaught of physical demands beginning in his body, Gil quickened his pace toward his suite.

Chapter Twelve

Osiris received the text from the soldiers he’d sent to keep an eye on Zakel. “They tranq’d the beast.” A slow smile touched his lips. Osiris hadn’t expected Zakel to be able to capture the two females. He figured if he wanted that done, he’d have to do it himself. It had taken him some time to figure out how to use the tracking devise the SOSC had placed in Zakel for his benefit. Using the Morsdente as bait had been a stroke of genius. While the SOSC had been busy picking off the scraps of the smuggling trade Zakel had led them to, he’d kept his operation safe, letting the SOSC destroy or sway his competition for him.

Didn’t take long before they all came sniveling to him for protection. Wasn’t it funny how the SOSC always played into his hands? Then there were the rumors about this grand event; he didn’t need to dig far to get the information. He’d been surprised to find one of the organizers was young Jess. The young siphon was making her way in the social sphere. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure that Umbrae would be attending—she was after all the great survivor. Her ability to rise above solidified his belief that she was his kin. He’d kept good tabs on her. Allowing her to be rehabilitated by the SOSC had saved him the trouble of dealing with a traumatized female. Last thing he wanted was to deal with Zakel’s mess, especially when the SOSC had inadvertently offered an alternative.

Once she went into action he’d been less than amused to find her first stakeout was one of his favorite retreats. Hell no, he was not going to let them use his blood kin against him. Then he’d received the picture of Umbrae with his father’s chain. A plan began to develop.