Blood Flows Deep in the Empire (17 page)

“What the fuck?” Evesse yelled when her eyes landed on Ismini.

“Evesse, please. Calm down. I didn’t ask you here to—”

Ismini glared up at Vedlyl. “You told her to come!”

“What the fuck is wrong with you? What’s happening?” Evesse rushed to sit on the bed next to Ismini. The moment her hand landed on Ismini’s forehead, she recoiled. “You’re so cold!” Evesse’s eyes darted back and forth between Vedlyl and Ismini, obviously waiting for answers.

“Just give me one moment, I think she’s almost . . . ah, there she is!” Vedlyl said, ignoring Eve’s question. He pushed back the curtain that covered the opening to the balcony in time for Ismini to see Nylicia’s form appear. She seemed a great deal more corporeal this time than she had during her previous visit. However, Ismini could still see through her as she moved closer and closer.

“How much energy is it costing you to be here right now?” Vedlyl asked, his tone worried and low.

Nylicia waved him off, walking closer to the bed. “Doesn’t matter. And it’s nowhere near as much as I’m about to use.”

“Oh my God . . .” Eve whispered. “
You
 . . . you’re real.”

Ismini frowned at her fried as Nylicia walked toward them with a hard expression.

“Evesse Salazar, I’m sorry that we have to meet for the first time, in person, under these circumstances. If you will remain still for two seconds and trust me, I will give you all the answers you seek.”

Ismini sat up and cried out. “Wait. Nylicia, what are you doing? No!”

She shook her head even though the movement made her neck feel like it was being torn from her shoulders. Evesse’s angry, tear-filled eyes landed on her immediately.

“I’m your friend, damn it! I deserve to know what’s wrong with you!”

“Evesse, please. I need you to look at me,” Nylicia said, stopping in front of her. Evesse did what she asked, and this time, Ismini didn’t interrupt them. She knew Evesse was right, and it wasn’t fair to hide from her what was happening.

Nylicia’s shimmering, translucent hand came up beneath Evesse’s chin and urged her to tilt her head back. She leaned down and locked stares with Evesse. While Ismini watched, Nylicia’s irises became a whirling vortex, the colors spinning at an alarming rate. Her black pupils expanded until they resembled small typhoons that sucked in all the color.

Ismini didn’t need universal knowledge to know what was happening, especially after Nylicia pulled back and Evesse just sat there. Every inch of her trembled. Her face had gone red. Her hand shook as she raised it to her face and rubbed her forehead. Nothing could hide the rage in her eyes, even when she clenched them closed.

Ismini’s heart was already broken, but seeing her friend like that made everything so much worse.

“I’m sorry. I should’ve told you,” she whispered.

“Don’t you dare apologize!” A single tear fell down Evesse’s cheek. “God or not, I swear I’m going to kill him. I don’t care if I’m just a human, he’s dead! And you,” she said, turning to Nylicia. “I don’t care what I said or did in that dream! I’m not going to belong to that red-haired asshole!”

Oh. My. God.

If Ismini hadn’t been in such agony, she would’ve jumped off the bed and fallen over in shock.

Nylicia had visited Evesse in her dreams, too.
Evesse
?
When? Why? And Zeniel?
Because she knew that had to be who Eve was going on about.

Had Evesse walked through the portal because Nylicia had shown her Zen in her dream?

“That’s what I’m here for. To help you ‘kick ass,’ ” Nylicia said. “What if I could temporarily help you both be . . . more? What if you are both meant to be more? Well, Ismini would be getting it anyway, because if I have to see her suffer like this simply because he has one more thought about Dimithinia . . .”

Eve’s eyes widened. “Is that why she’s like this?”

“That and he left her unsatisfied,” Nylicia said, one eyebrow arching.

Ismini groaned, turning her head and burying it in the pillow. Could they please not talk about this as if she wasn’t fucking there?

“What! Is he fucking insane?”

Apparently, they couldn’t. Ismini raised her head off the pillow, ignoring the way her face burned and desperate to find a reason, any reason, to get Evesse to calm down. “Aren’t you on top of Destiny? Isn’t this all supposed to happen?”

“Yes. Yes it is. That doesn’t mean I have to fucking like witnessing it, though.” The edge in Nylicia’s tone surprised Ismini. “And I am here on Destiny’s orders. All hell is breaking loose on Earth, and as far as I can see right now, you two are meant to be a part of this battle.”

“You said you had the power to make us ‘more’,” Evesse said, the need for vengeance glittering in her eyes.

“Evesse,” Ismini warned.

“Nylicia.” Vedlyl took a step forward, his face worried. “In this form you’re weak enough as it is. The amount of energy this would consume . . .”

“Is none of your business, Vedlyl. Destiny calls for this, a lot hinges on these two joining the fight. And you know what? This is one of those times that I am more than happy to oblige.”

Eve shared a look with Ismini before turning back to Nylicia. “What do you mean a lot hinges on us joining this fight?”

Nylicia tilted her head. “I can’t tell you everything I know. Not yet, but I can tell you that I wouldn’t be here doing this if there wasn’t a good reason for it. Now Evesse, get on that bed next to Ismini. It’s time you left these weak human forms behind for a while.”

Evesse got on the bed next to Ismini so fast that, for a moment, Ismini forgot about her agony and just glared at her. Why? Because Evesse was a freaking comic book fanatic and Ismini was sure that at the mention of becoming more,
she
forgot about Ismini’s agony, too.

“Now, one thing I will apologize for is the pain this will cause. I’m temporarily switching out your DNA. While you’re still alive. This will not be pleasant. Okay, I’m not being honest. It’s going to hurt like a bitch.”

Evesse interrupted Nylicia. “Who cares? Just do it already!” She stopped right after, realizing the looks both Nylicia and Ismini were throwing her.

A fresh wave of pain went through Ismini, making her clench her teeth and her back arch.

“Sorry?” Evesse said, giving her a sheepish look.

Ismini couldn’t respond since her brain threatened to shut down at the mere idea of more pain. However, Ismini trusted Nylicia. Not only that, but every mated inch of her body screamed that whatever danger Nylicia was sending them to help with was the very same that had called Dyletri from his bed.

It was ridiculous and stupid, and yes, Ismini was up for Moron of the Year at that point, but there was no fighting the instinct that demanded she get to his side and glue herself there in case the end of the world was about to occur.

Especially then.

Nylicia came closer to them, walking around the left side of the bed where Evesse lay. Evesse reached for Ismini’s hand, gripping it hard and holding on. A surge of emotion went through Ismini. She squeezed back, biting her lip and holding back the urge to ask Nylicia if she was sure about this.

Out of the corner of her eye, Ismini saw Vedlyl take a step toward Nylicia, his face worried. Then he took another step and another, until he was right behind her.

Okay. Maybe I should say something.

She didn’t get a chance. Nylicia leaned over them, palms open, her fingers spread. Ismini’s eyes widened as the lines on Nylicia’s hands began to glow. Even through her translucent form, the light was powerful. It spread into a spiral that grew until it began to resemble a weird version of a lotus flower.

Ismini heard Evesse gasp next to her. Her fingers tightened around her own just as the “flowers” exploded, sending hot, bright light straight into Evesse and Ismini.

They both arched up off the bed. The agony was overwhelming, and for one split second, Ismini had enough cognitive reasoning left to wonder if she would survive. It felt like giant burning claws had gripped her bones and were trying to rip her entire skeleton through her flesh.

It felt wrong. Everything felt wrong. Her soul felt as though it was being shoved backward through her DNA and out of her body. Her stomach cramped. Her lungs struggled to bring in air as they seemed to harden. Her bones seemed to tighten and her skin, too. It prickled and burned and felt like it was shrinking in on her.

Through her screams and those of her best friend, Ismini heard what sounded like Nylicia groaning. Then the light around them morphed, becoming prismatic. It split into the same colors in Nylicia’s eyes. They swirled and spun, and soon Ismini could see nothing but gold rushing through her mind. Gold with symbols and images embedded within, all of it going too fast for her brain to process.

It obscured her vision, and Ismini realized that she wasn’t blinking. That she wasn’t able to. Her brain felt heavy and sluggish in a way that could only be described as trancelike.

Perhaps it was a version of self-defense for her brain, a way for her to detach herself from the multiple attacks on her body. Not that she gave a fuck. At that point, she was just grateful to have anything blocking some of that major hurting she was going through.

The gold light shimmered inside her mind like a glittery blanket, covering everything even as images continued to rush right beneath it.

As soon as the process—or whatever the hell it was—was complete and Ismini began coming to, it took her a few tries before she could blink back the haze she’d been under. When she did, she realized several things all at once.

For one, the
R’mmanev
was locked back inside her heart. And it was a heart that had grown stronger. Each palpitation was a shot aimed at the flame inside her. Ismini could hear the organ pounding away like a racehorse, felt it fighting back against the mating.

But that wasn’t the only thing. She heard her own harsh breathing. She could hear Evesse’s, as well, and something else. A rushing sound inside her ears that seemed familiar. Not more breathing but . . . it was the air. Just like when Dyletri had teleported them here, she was able to hear the air around her.

She heard each heartbeat in the room. Evesse’s. Vedlyl’s. Her own. And a weak but furious one that could only belong to . . .

Nylicia!

Ismini shot up off the bed fast.
Too
fast. She almost flew right out the entryway and had to catch herself against the frame. Her entire body jerked from the sudden stop. Her fingers dug into the stone, making Ismini go wide-eyed as she saw it crumble as if it were nothing.

As she stared, she heard an amplified “
Oomph
!” followed by a slapping sound. She dropped to the ground, turning her head from side to side and trying to locate where the noise had come from.

She found it. Evesse was plastered to the canopy of the bed they’d been on. The stone the canopy was made of had cracked, as well, and Evesse was glancing all around her with an expression that screamed,
“What the fuck?”

Her eyes locked on Ismini just as Nylicia groaned. Nylicia leaned against the wall on the other side of the bed, her form flickering in and out. Vedlyl hovered nearby, appearing concerned.

“Nylicia . . . are you all right?” Vedlyl asked.

Ismini loosened her iron grip on the doorframe, seeing it re-form out of the corner of her eye. She was freaked out by it, but was more focused on Nylicia who was trying to stand upright.

“I’m fine.” She seemed to be forcing herself to stay
there
with them. Her normally golden-tanned skin was several shades too pale, her form more transparent than Ismini had ever seen.

Still, she seemed determined to finish what she started. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.”

“Nylic—”

“No, listen to me, Vedlyl. I managed to perfect the design of the
terets.
Bring them here. Please.”

He hesitated a moment, then disappeared.

“Now, you two . . . do me a favor.”

“Anything,” Evesse and Ismini said.

Evesse had to pretty much peel herself off the canopy. She fell down onto the bed. The canopy re-formed right behind her.

Nylicia lowered her shaking hand away from her face, and the hardness of her expression made Ismini take a step back. “Kick some serious ass. Destroy everything you can. The beings that did this? I have a personal bone to pick with them.”

Chapter 15