My Immortal (15 page)

"I just wanted to talk to you about whatever
is going on between us."

He shrugs it off and turns his head away back
towards everyone else and I am left staring at his profile.

"Look, Gabe, I love you. You are my best
friend. I can't stand it when you look at me the way you have been
and you won't even tell me why. Please just be honest with me."

He chews on his lip for a second and looks
back at me. He drops his head towards the ground just when I
thought he was going to talk.

"I guess that it's just harder than I thought
it would be, actually seeing you with someone else. Especially
him.
"

I nod with understanding. "But, I thought you
said that you understood and that you weren't in love with me
anymore."

"I know what I said," he says a little
harsher than he intends. His tone changes back to placating. "I
guess I thought wrong. I mean, I don't feel the jealousy and the
longing over you that I did. For some reason it's turned into…anger
and bitterness towards you and I just don't know how to change
that."

"I guess it's too much to ask to have both of
you? My best friend and my boyfriend. I always knew I would have to
choose."

He rubs the back of his neck with his hand.
"I never said that, Alexia. You asked me to tell you what was on my
mind and I did. You still have me, I am still here and I am not mad
at you. I guess I just feel shunned and I don't feel like I deserve
it. I think I treated you well and I am not ugly. I just think it's
more of how this whole situation has changed the way I view myself,
and I don't like it."

"Well, I am sorry for putting you through all
of this."

He nods and purses his lips. His hands find
his hips and his gaze lingers back towards everyone.

I watch him and then follow his eyes back to
Jezebel. While I am watching her she covertly glances back at
Gabriel, fully aware of exactly where he is over here with me.
Hmm.

"And I also never thanked you for saving us
and planning the escape. So, thank you Gabriel. You probably saved
my life."

"You don't have to thank me, Alexia. It was
mostly my fault that my Guards took him away, and it was time to
make it right. I couldn't lose you for forever just because of my
jealousy."

He glances back at me and then back to her. I
nod, speechless.

"Do you, ah, do you think she's pretty?"

He snaps his attention back to me with a
surprised look on his face and if I'm not mistaken he is blushing
for the first time in history.

"No," he says.

I know that she is probably listening to our
conversation with her shifter hearing but I doubt Gabe is aware of
all if her abilities. He isn't exactly studied up on other kinds,
other than knowing that they exist. Until now I thought he would
never even take notice of a girl if she wasn't an angel.

Glancing at her after he says this, I see her
frown as she examines her fingernails.

"I think she is beautiful…" he admits in a
whisper, looking deep into my eyes. It's as if he is trying to gage
my reaction and read deep into my soul at the same time.

I break away from his inscrutable stare to
check Jezebel's expression now and sure enough she has a sweet
looking smile on her face that she is trying to hide, and for once
I realize that maybe she can be nice and normal somewhere deep,
deep,
deep
down.

I sigh. "Most guys do," I mutter. "I don't
know her that well Gabe, but be careful. What I do know isn't my
business to share, but I can tell you that it's not good…and I
don't want to see you get hurt again."

He frowns at me and then nods. "Thanks for
the warning. I'm gonna head back and check on her. We should get on
the move soon."

I follow behind him, my eyes scanning for my
dark Shadow. A feeling of ease washes over me when I spot his red
eyes watching me walk towards him. And when he smiles and I see his
fangs my heart stutters.

He plants a kiss on the top of my head as he
encloses me in an affectionate hug and not for the first time I
feel his love seep into my pores.

"I missed you," he whispers into my ear,
causing me to shiver.

"Mmm, I missed you too."

We all stand around discussing various things
amongst ourselves when Gabe clears his throat, then we all become
quiet at his innate ability to command.

"Let's move, we can't stay here any longer.
Everybody good with that? We need to fly as far as we can before
nightfall and find shelter."

We all mumble our agreement and I glance up
into the deep, dark depths of my lover's eyes as I brace myself for
a long, fast flight.

• Chapter Twelve
  

Two days later…

I am leaning up against Shadow's chest in
between his legs and he is leaned up against the wall of a small
cave. There is no waterfall in front of this one and it is much
dingier.

We couldn't get the fire to start in here
even though we all gave it a try until our hands were so tired we
could hardly flex our fingers.

So yeah, it's a little chilly in here since
it's finally night time.

Everyone has long since closed their eyes and
from what I can tell from the light snores and steady breathing
everyone is asleep except for me and Shadow.

I shift sideways and look back at him
straining my eyes to make out his features in the dark even with my
face only inches from his. "Why aren't you asleep?"

He smirks. "Why aren't you?"

"Do you always answer a question with a
question?"

"I don't think so, do you?" He winks at
me.

My gaze flicks to his the shadow of his
luscious lips, watching his tongue slip out to wet them. A peep
show of his fangs has my stomach clenching and suddenly I am aware
of my body pressed so closely to his. "If you weren't so cute, I
wouldn't like you," I say jokingly.

"So you just want me for my body?"

I roll my eyes indignantly. "At least
you
think you're funny."

"Thanks!" He laughs.

“Gabe spoke to me privately...” whispers.

This gets my attention. “Really? When?”
Because I didn't notice that.

“This morning before anyone else was awake.
He said that Jezebel had a miscarriage the night before...”

I gasp quietly. “Oh gods....” I don't really
know what else to say. Is everyone okay with this? I am sad for the
unborn child, but also a little relieved. “Um...are they okay? Is
she alright...are you?”

He sighs. “Well, it turns out that she
admitted it probably wasn't my child. She told him that she was
used a lot in the dungeon and that she had noticed signs of
pregnancy before I came along.”

I nod and he rubs my shoulder.

'I think it's best for everyone in the long
run, Gabe does as well,” he says.

I just nod again. I am afraid of saying the
wrong thing and afraid to speak at all.

We sit in silence for a long while.

I want to kiss him but when I lean forward to
touch his lips with mine, his body jerks and he groans in pain as
his eyes cringe shut.

I frown. "What is it? Did I touch your arrow
wounds?"

He shakes his head. "They've been healed for
a day or so. I think maybe it's…"

He trails off and I don't want to hear him
say it as much as he probably doesn't want to hear himself say it.
If we just don't acknowledge that he will probably have withdrawal
symptoms then maybe he won't. Haha. Fat chance.

"Maybe you should feed," I whisper. "Maybe we
can fight this using your blood hunger."

He groans again and hugs his stomach tighter.
His skin is starting to get clammy and I know the trembles and
shivers are next.

Gods I don't want to watch him go through
this again. And I refuse to think of the fact that no one has
survived without the Black Poison drug after they have started
using it.

He will not die from withdrawals after
everything he has been through. We just found each other!

His gentle touch on my neck as he moves my
hair over to one shoulder makes my skin break out in chills and my
eyes shut on their own. "Stop analyzing everything, baby. I know
you're already thinking the worst. I can beat this with your help."
He smiles sweetly and the pessimistic part of me notices that he
doesn't even believe that.

"I will do whatever you need, you know that.
So will everyone else," I whisper, hoping that is true.

As I stare into his eyes I can see the pain
behind them…and the hope. You only hope when you are unsure and
hope is a thin straw to grasp. Suddenly and surely I realize that I
have to keep that hope in his eyes through this, because once his
hope is gone again I don't think I will ever get him back.

I will not lose him to this after everything
else.

He lays his head back against the wall and I
can tell that he is working his jaw as another wave of pain wracks
his body.

"One day we will be free of all this crap," I
whisper, reaching up to put my hand behind his head.

His red eyes flare brighter as I lovingly
bring his head to my pounding vein.

Expecting the initial sharp sting of his
fangs my skin twitches where he lands a sweet kiss instead.

I smile to myself and my heart swells with
love. I wish I could show him how much I love him but I don't think
he will ever grasp how much.

He finally pierces my vein and starts
drinking.

I snuggle closer into him and bask in the
pleasure of being in his arms and giving him something that he
needs and can only get from me…to survive.

It is an overwhelming rush to know that his
survival depends on me and that he literally couldn't live without
me.

It' exactly how I feel about him, whether
there is anything physical tying me to him or not.

We were one when we mates but now it really
feels like he is an extension of me. Now I share not only his love
but also his pain and sorrow.

Hopefully he can pull through this if he
feels some of my strength and encouragement.

After a few minutes, I notice Shadow stiffen
and he stills completely as the hand over my stomach clenches. Just
as I open my mouth to speak he cuts me off.

Shh! Don't move….

My heart accelerates.
You're scaring
me.

He is so still and quiet that I don't even
hear the breaths he takes through his nose despite his fangs still
in my vein and close to my ear. He is swallowing ever so slowly so
that my blood doesn't just spill over and run down my neck, being
wasted.

I'm not trying to, Bayla, but there is
something close. I can feel it. I just can't tell if it's evil or
not.

I gulp and close my eyes, inhaling a
quivering breath.

Don't make a noise, I'm going to close the
wound and pull my fangs out.

Okay.

Just as soon as my neck is free, a noise
draws our attention towards the dark cave entrance and we both sit
a little straighter staring intently.

"Who are you?" Shadow's voice booms right
next to my ear, startling me.

Confused and wondering who he is talking to I
look over my shoulder at him, noticing his intense gaze directed at
someone in the darkness of the cave entrance that I can not
see.

Why can't angels see in the dark?
I
think.

Because angels aren't meant to be out in
the dark, wondering around. demons are from the dark.
He
answers at the same time a voice replies from the entrance.

"P-Please don't hurt me! I'm just from the
village on the other side of the mountain."

I cock my head at the mysterious voice and
what I just heard.

A village!

I
knew
there were others! Ones that
weren't confined to that prison that we were born into.

Shadow stands up and motions for the thing to
come closer. I stand up next to him.

"What's going on? Who the hell are you
talking to?" Gabe shouts, jarring everyone else from sleep.

I glance at Gabe and notice Wraith igniting
the fire again with expertise and two flints.

When did they wake up?
I wonder.

They have been awake since I fed from you,
baby.

Embarrassment floods my senses, thinking back
to our private moment.

Looking back at the entrance, I notice two
things: the mysterious being looks like a kind that I have never
seen and two: he is looking at Shadow like he knows who he is and
like he is extremely disbelieving of it.

"A village? How many live there? What
kind?"

Gabe stands to join us and Wraith and Kaia
huddle closer to the fire. Jezebel eyes Gabe as he stands beside
me.

"Yes, ah…ah about three thousand live there,
it's the largest village around with wraiths, humans, faeries,
demons, angels, spirits, shifters, nymphs, and of course
hybrids."

Hybrids?
I hear Shadow's excitement at
the possibility.

Shadow frowns. "What are you doing here?"

“Wraiths?” Kaia says, looking at Wraith at
the same time Jezebel gasps and says, “Humans?”

He holds up his hands in a placating gesture.
"I mean you no harm. I swear. Our scouts have seen large movement
of the Hell-Horde out lately and they sent me to check it out…to
see what they were tracking…."

Gabe nods and Shadow crosses his arms. "You
mean that they are after us?"

He nods and chews on his lip. He walks
closer, slowly until the full amount of light from the fire reaches
him.

He is older, probably around my parent's age.
He has salt and pepper hair and a tan complexion that says he works
outside most everyday. He has laugh lines around his mouth and eyes
so he must be a happy person. His eyes are the greenest that I have
ever seen and I immediately wonder if he is a, dare I say,
human?