Blind Magic: The Sanctuary Chronicles Page 22

  The first image was the one of children playing near a barn. Where were they? As she asked herself that question, a bomb exploded nearby, and children screamed.

  The image flashed again and now she was in what looked like a city. Old buildings. Europe maybe. A young man walking fast on the street, as if late for an appointment. Cars passed by. Old cars. Sera wondered what year it was. The fifties maybe?

  Several images flashed of the man at various stages of his life. Sera had hoped she would see him with Pheme, somehow confirming that this aging man was her son, but nothing of that sort popped.

  And now, he was a very old man, a hermit in a cabin lost in the woods. She saw him carrying a handful of logs, hunched and limping. His face remained the same, only older, with the same blue eyes as his mother. Sera saw a plane in the sky and wondered if it was today. Slowly, she followed the man as he entered the cabin and dropped his load by the hearth. Sera looked around and saw a well-built structure with sturdy, handmade furniture. On the table was a cup of coffee, a newspaper and other discarded papers.

  Her eyes fell on the headlines that seemed to be written in German. And this was today’s date. Sera’s heart leaped; she was on to something. And then, here eyes saw a few envelopes of unopened mail scattered aside. All with the same address. Sera would have shouted in victory if she had not been pulled away from the scene like a slingshot.

  Opening her eyes to the setting sun of Los Angeles, she felt as if she was still dreaming, a bit disconnected from herself. Was it over, she thought? And was all she saw even real or the figment of her imagination?

  As soon as she moved her head and stretched, it was if she was grounded again. Completely back. The phenomenon intrigued her, but more pressing things had to be done first.

  Pheme was standing in the middle of the living room, in the very same spot, looking at her.

  “I found him.” The light and tears that came into her eyes were incredible. It changed the goddess completely, making her human, vulnerable. Sera gave her the address she had read on the letter, and Pheme sobbed before fighting to regain composure of herself. It only lasted a moment when she took Sera in her arms and squeezed her so tight, it was almost impossible to breathe.

  “Air...” Sera wheezed out her plea and Pheme released her immediately. The goddess wiped her face.

  “Well, I got carried away. And now, I just have to work up the courage to go and see him.”

  “Don’t wait too long, he’s now an old man. Nobody knows how long he will live.”

  “Old?” Pheme seemed to truly struggle with the concept, a very human one, even for demigods who are not granted eternal life. Sighing, she straightened up and lifted her head. “Well, there is nothing like the present, as you humans say. Bye, bye, lovely.”

  And she was gone.

  Chapter Thirty

  Contrary to what she had thought, Sera didn’t feel depleted after finding Pheme’s son. She had expected to feel at least some amount of fatigue, the same way it happened after major spellcasting. It had allowed her to create a portal back to Sanctuary without anyone’s help.

  As she got ready, Ian came out of the room, naked and in a grumpy mood. No words were exchanged as she summoned him clothes once more and opened the portal. The werewolf swung a passed-out Finn over his shoulder and they crossed back.

  Her friends almost jumped on her, wanting an update about what happened. Finn had vanished. As for Soren, he had successfully escaped the shadows and was laying low for now. Probably licking his wounds in his cabin. Knowing about him reassured her to no end.

  Sera summarized the entire trip and cut the questioning short, pleading that she needed a bath and sleep.

  Valeria and Violet’s faces told her that they weren’t fooled but were willing to let it slide for the time being. Asher had taken Ian to his study, probably for a similar update. And maybe talking to his alpha would make him less surly. Sera wondered why he was such in a bad mood. Well, she may have left him in the bedroom without waking him up, but she didn’t put herself in danger or leave the apartment. Men were complicated to understand sometimes.

  Back in her room, she opened the door of the adjoining bathroom and started filling the tub with scalding hot water. Her body was sore and restless, and she needed the soak. Adding a few herbs and salts for their healing properties, she undressed. One peek in the mirror confirmed that, although her strength spell had worked with Ian, there were still traces on her. Bruises and scratches adorned her pale skin. And there wasn’t one of them she regretted. Sera knew the werewolf to be mild tempered most of the time, but the dominant beast was never far away. And she happened to realize that both sides of him suited her. The grumpy wolf, maybe not so much.

  Turning off the water, she added a spell to the now greenish water, adding a little more kick to it to help make the bruising and aches disappear. As she slid into the water, Sera hissed at the sting as it slowly subsided. Her head pillowed with a folded towel, Sera closed her eyes and let her body relax as her mind processed the events of the day.

  At least she had a few answers. However, what troubled her even more was why Artemis had come to her, acting as if she cared, when the last thing she wanted was to kill her? And what about Apollo? Did he know about her? Just thinking about her biological father made her energy churn inside her, as if tempting her to use it and find the man.

  It was a possibility, but if the brother loved his sister as much as Artemis loved him, Sera may have two angry gods on her back instead of one. And was it only about jealousy? Or was Artemis after something else?

  There was a reason Sera hated politics and kept away from it, although this time she may not have any choice but to get involved if she wanted to survive.

  Her mind swirled into more pleasant thoughts as she remembered Ian. As soon as she thought about him, it was as if her entire being came alive. Her body was restless, her skin itching for his touch, heat spreading in her core and throbbing between her legs. His body made her ache and his heart made her sigh. He was a good man, with a compassionate and generous heart. Selfless for those in his care. How could life be so cruel to him and take away his wife and child? Her chest tightened at the thought, and behind her closed eyelids images started to form.

  There he was, Ian, sitting in a car as Asher was driving at a dangerous speed. Both men looked so serious. Ian’s hair was much shorter, and he was clean shaven. How strange to see him like that. His caramel eyes were so worried, what was happening? Now realizing that she was witnessing an event from Ian’s past, it was impossible for Sera to stop, she had to see it through.

  The car skidded to a halt when through the windshield, she saw many people gathered around a car. Sera recognized some faces, men that she knew as Sentinels, others from Easthallows.

  Ian rushed out of the car at full speed, plowing through the people gathered there until he reached a woman lying on the ground cradling a child. Sera couldn’t get closer. The woman was covered with blood, and the child had her eyes closed. Their mixed blood soaked the ground. Ian cradled the woman Sera knew now to be his wife holding their child and after a moment, the woman’s head fell against his chest, and Ian’s roar of despair rocked her to the core.

  The sight of his broken family, of his heart and soul breaking into pieces in front of her tore her into shreds. From the deepest, most tender part of her heart, she prayed for him to find peace, to reclaim the happiness in his life, and the most important part of all, that he would accept it and take it as his own. Ian Macon deserved to be happy despite what the world made him suffer, and, if given the possibility, Sera would do everything to make that happen.

  As she made that vow, images of Ian successively flashed in her mind. His fall into sorrow, when he attacked Valeria, the first time they met at Layla’s, him at the Olympus Tower... small pieces of his past, until she saw him with Asher in the Alpha’s office, discussing. At first, she thought to stay and listen, but her power had other ideas. More images flashed, some she d
idn’t quite understand. She saw herself with Ian walking through a portal again. Was it the future she was seeing? And images flashed so rapidly, it was difficult to make any sense of them. A young blond man. Her brain barely registered Ian bloody on the floor with her crying above him. The images flashed again so rapidly, she didn’t distinguish anything apart from her, falling by Ian, as if struck. That’s when she realized that it was her own panic that made her lose control on her power. Trying to slow down her breath, her heart and brain calmed enough that it made the images slow down, and even stop to a single sequence. Ian. He was alive in the future. If she could see him, it meant he had survived whatever attacked him. The thought reassured her enough that she could draw a breath, until the next image where her entire life stood still.

  Ian was there, holding a child, a little boy, in his arms, with a smile so bright, so happy that Sera felt giddy with it. The little boy wiggled in his arms and turned, his adorable round face smiling, his head full of curly brown hair like his father. So similar, there was no denying it was Ian’s child. The toddler’s pudgy arm waved at someone, and a woman approached and took the boy from Ian’s arms. Sera couldn’t see her face, only that she was smaller than Ian, with long flowing brown hair cascading down her back. Ian circled her shoulders before kissing her brow. Sera felt herself dying right here and there.

  On some trick from destiny, she had lost Ian. On the other hand, he had found a family again. A family he deserved and longed for. A family she could never give him. Species never mixed to have children. It may have been genetic, or maybe their unique magic prevented them from having kids, but nonetheless, it was the stark, painful reality.

  Ian had professed his love for her, committed to her, even offered her the mate’s oath although he knew the bond couldn’t be formed with her; she knew now that he longed for more. He may have willingly pushed his dream aside, but in his future was a child. And a woman able to give him one. Although pain was now rooted deep inside her soul, predicting that their time together would soon come to an end, and remembering herself falling and not appearing anywhere in Ian’s future, it meant that their last mission through the portal had failed. Her own end was near, but it also meant that Ian would be allowed a new beginning.

  Her body rebelled against this new knowledge of impending death, and Sera returned to herself in a splash of water. Still in her bath, the water lukewarm now, she let herself be grounded again, letting her brain process all the images and new knowledge and determined to ignore the plea of her heart.

  There was no great possibility of changing destiny. If trying to do so, the risks were too great, and the outcome may be even worse. At least she knew that her next step was to find Artemis, and probably Apollo. And that the outcome would be her own death.

  Water flowed around her body and she let herself relax, ignoring the tears on her cheeks. She shivered in the cooling water. Reality had struck. For all those years, she had denied her talents, fearing what others could do with her. The real curse was that very talent, Sera realized now. If she hadn’t opened that door and seen what was beyond it, she would still have hope in her heart.

  “Sera?” At Ian’s voice, she jerked and splashed water over the edge. Quickly wiping her face, she turned to the man who now unknowingly broke her heart.

  “Can’t you knock?”

  Ian moved to crouch by the tub, his elbows on his knees. It would take all her might and persuasion skills to convince him that she was alright. Already, his caramel eyes were hard with worry.

  “Sera.” Gone was the question, instead his voice conveyed many other things, such as a calm, unyielding determination to break her facade, and know what was beyond it. Images of him, future him, superimposed over his handsome face. His happiness, his future happiness was her hope now. Leaning back, she sighed.

  “I just saw what I have to do.”

  “You saw the future? But before, downstairs, when you described what happened with that goddess, the vision...”

  “You’re right, I only saw bits of the past, and the present. I didn’t push, or rather, I didn’t know I could even push further than that. After all, Pheme didn’t want to know the future, she only wanted to find her son.”

  “And now you want to see the future?”

  Shaking her head, Sera flicked water with her fingers. “No, I was just toying with ideas in my head, trying to figure out my next move when I was propelled into a vision.” Ignoring again the part about Ian, she remembered the scene with Apollo. “I saw myself facing Apollo. You were by my side. Then I saw you wounded on the ground. After, the vision flashed forward.”

  Ian didn’t move. “And after that. During the flash forward, what did it tell you?”

  And she knew at that moment, she had to lie, and be mightily convincing about it.”

  “That everything would be fine. You survive that wound.”

  “And yet, you think about leaving me, all of us, behind.”

  Sera had to smile. He read her like a book. “Yes. Despite knowing that you will be alright, I still want to leave you here, safe, at Sanctuary.”

  Still fixing her with burning eyes, he nodded. “And what would happen to the future if you did that? All that happens afterwards? Would you risk knowing that all is fine after that only because you want to spare me pain?”

  “You know me too well, it’s frightening.” She could have been selfish at that moment, and not listen to his logic. Maybe if he stayed here, he wouldn’t be hurt, and she wouldn’t die. And Ian would never meet that brown-haired woman. But it was the look on his face, him holding his son, that made her take the right path. “And no, I won’t leave you behind. Even if I want you safe, even if I want to avoid you pain. It seems that this last chapter must be closed together.”

  Ian’s shoulders relaxed a bit and a smile tugged at his kissable lips. Her time with him was nearly over, and Sera was damned if she didn’t reach for their connection one more time. Her wet fingers scratched his hairy cheeks, leaving droplets of water hanging on his whiskers. Her eyes tried to remember all of him, etch all his features so deeply in her soul, she would take his memory with her to the other side.

  Just as she felt the werewolf frown again, Sera cupped the back of his head and pulled him to her. As she anticipated, he couldn’t deny her and when they kissed, a deep moan of satisfaction rose from her chest. The sound alone seemed to spur Ian who echoed it with his own and dipped a hand into the warm water to cup her breast. Not enough, Sera thought, it was and would never be enough. Her wet hands ran over his flannel shirt and tugged, wanting him closer and her body started to shiver and ache for him.

  As she was about to pull herself up and out of the tub, it was Ian who moved and entered the tub, still fully clothed. Surprised, a bubble of laughter escaped her lips but was cut short when his rough hand snaked between her legs, her body bursting into flames on contact. Her body bowed when his fingers found her clit, making her break the kiss.

  Ian removed his touch from her to tear the wet shirt from himself. Sera couldn’t get enough of the man kneeling between her legs, with damp jeans, naked from the waist up and looking at her like a conquering warrior. His body was all quaking muscle and her eyes followed a drop of water enticingly running over his amazing abs. When he leaned forward, his arms on each side of her on the bathtub’s ledge, the ink symbols on his bulging arms seemed to take life. But it was his deep amber eyes that caught her under his spell, each and every time. Unable to sit still, Sera ran her hands up his arms, caressing, detailing him. Pushing herself up a little, she rubbed her cheek against his bicep, and this touch alone turned him into a predator.

  Amazingly strong, Ian balanced himself with a single hand and fisted her hair with the other, bringing her lips once more to his. Blind with lust, she reached for his pants, and struggled to even unbutton the wet denim. Fumbling, it took her a moment to realize that she didn’t have to do it the human way and wished Ian’s pants away. Sera didn’t know if the rumble of the werewol
f was amusement or desire at her spell, but she was pretty sure of the nature of it when she took his cock in her hand and squeezed. His entire body tensed, and his hips slowly rocked against her grip. Damn, it was not enough! Sera hooked one arm around his neck and tried to pull herself up, trying to increase the contact when the werewolf made another decision. Instead, he slowly let himself fall on top of her. Forced to let him go and remove her hand, she instead opened her legs more for him, and when the tub was too restrictive, she pulled her knees up and let her legs rest on the ledge. The position was indecent, wanton, but she couldn’t care less. Instead, she welcomed him between her legs, letting her fingers tangle in his wet dark hair as he claimed her lips again. In this position, she couldn’t move much, and he knew it. Settling himself more tightly against her, Sera thought at first he would enter her, but instead, he slid his rigid member between her folds, slick with water and her own lubrication. His length rubbed languidly up and down, and there was nothing she could do about it. She was at his mercy, possessed by his body, his eyes, his entire being solely focused on her, on her every movement and reaction. She should have been shy, and shocked about it, but this was exactly what she wanted. And the power she felt from him, her own swirling in the air around them, was heady. When they were together, when nothing else mattered but what was between them, there was no fear, no doubt and no death.