Forgotten Visions (The Divinities Book 1) (23 page)

Ayden stood up slowly, staggering a little before regaining his balance. He flicked a glance to Kalissa. She was struggling to get out of Liam’s hold. He looked around and noticed that the female demon was gone. “Give it up, Liam,” Ayden said, still trying to catch his breath from the energy ball.

Liam glared at them. “Never. She’s mine.” He whirled around and headed toward the back door with his arms wrapped around Kalissa’s waist.

Ayden panicked. He feared he would never see Kalissa again if Liam made it out of the house. He knew from his connection to Kalissa that Liam used most of his strength to keep her from using her magic against him. Liam didn’t have the energy to teleport with Kalissa so close to her twin and magical partner. He was trying to get her away from them so he could take her to the gods knew where.

Reacting on instinct, and pulling from his love for her, he conjured a large fireball and winged it into Liam’s back. As soon as it hit, Liam released Kalissa. But she didn’t come to Ayden right away. Instead, she stood in front of Liam, grabbed his arms, and intensified the flames to engulf him fully.

“Kalissa, no!” Khloe shouted. But it was too late. Kalissa was already controlling the fire, increasing its temperature and intensity.  

“Kalissa,” Ayden pleaded. Kalissa looked at him, then back at Liam, and let go. Liam fell in a pile of charred body parts. Kalissa turned to face Ayden and then drifted to the floor.

Ayden crossed the room to Kalissa, gathered her up in his arms, walked out of the house, and climbed into the passenger seat of his Jeep. All he could do was hold her to his chest as tightly as he could without hurting her.

Zach and Khloe came out a few seconds later. Khloe climbed into the backseat while Zach took the wheel, pulled out of the driveway, and headed home.

Kalissa woke up
scared and confused. It took her several moments before she realized where she was. She was sandwiched between two people. She inhaled slowly and relaxed.  She opened her eyes and saw a mound of blond curls. Kalissa smiled. She’d thought she would never see her sister again.

Khloe rolled over to face her and smiled. “Hi.”

“Hi,” Kalissa choked out. Her throat was raw. She lifted her hand to touch Khloe and frowned at the bandages that covered it.

Khloe sat up on the bed, tucked her legs underneath her, and faced Kalissa. “Your hands suffered the worst of it, thank the gods. Your eyes may be sensitive to light for a few more days.”

Ayden tightened his arms around her and kissed her on the top of her head. “Promise to never leave again,” he whispered.

Kalissa closed her eyes and folded her arms over his around her waist. After a few moments, she took his arm that had their marks and extended hers so that they were side by side. She was so happy to see the double roses on their arms. She brought his palm to her chest. “I don’t plan on it.”

“I will leave you two alone now,” Khloe said and bent down to kiss her sister on the cheek. She got off the bed and left the room, shutting the door behind her.

Kalissa rolled over to bury her head in Ayden’s chest. She breathed deeply, taking in his earthy sandalwood scent. “I thought that I would never…”

“Shh. It’s okay. You’re safe,” Ayden whispered and tightened his arms around her. “You do know I’ll never let you out of my sight from now on, right?”

Kalissa laughed. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.” She lifted her head from his chest to look into those baby blue eyes she remembered falling in love with fifteen years ago and had learned to love anew. “I love you.”

They lay in each other’s arms for several minutes before Kalissa broke the silence. “Ayden?”

“Uh-huh?”

“Let’s complete the bond.”

Ayden pulled back enough to look in her eyes. “Kalissa, are you asking me to marry you?” he asked with a large smile. 

Kalissa returned his smile with a little seduction mixed in. “I guess I am.” She climbed farther up his chest to place a kiss to his lips. She made a tiny squeal when he flipped her onto her back and then invaded her mouth with his tongue. He pulled out of the kiss and reached over to the end table beside the bed. Kalissa tried to see what he was doing but had no luck. Ayden had complete control over her, and for the first time in years, she welcomed that possession.

Ayden laid his head on her pillow next to hers. He brought a small box into her line of sight. “I was going to wait for the right time. Try to be romantic and all that. But you beat me to it.” He laughed and opened the box. “Yes, Kalissa. I will be your magical partner, eternal lover, and companion for the rest of our existence. I give you my mother’s ring as a token of my love.”

Kalissa gasped. The ring was the largest purple diamond she’d ever seen—it had to be at least five carats. The band was white gold with a rose vine etched around it to make the diamond look like it grew out of a stem like a fully blossomed violet rose.

She raised her hand, only to frown that her hands were covered with bandages. She shook them in the air. “Take these off.” Ayden immediately unwrapped the bandages. When he’d finished, she examined her pink, slightly swollen hands, flipping them from front to back to front again. They were still raw and tender from the burns.

“Lydia said it would take longer to heal burns that severe. I’m afraid you won’t be able to wear the ring until they’re completely healed.” He sat up and moved to get up from the bed. He walked around to Kalissa’s side and helped her sit up, tucking her pillows behind her for support. He sat down on the edge of the mattress to face her and picked up a bowl from the end table.

Kalissa noticed it was a cream of some kind. “Wait. Can I hold it…before you put that on my hands?”

Ayden touched her cheek and pressed a kiss to her lips. He picked up the box, took the ring out, and placed it in her palm. Very carefully, she picked up the ring. The skin on her fingers began to tighten from being exposed to the air. She handed the ring back to Ayden. “I love you and accept your mother’s ring as a symbol of our union.” She leaned forward and kissed him. Out of reflex, she reached up to touch his face and hissed as the pain reminded her of her burned palms.

Ayden gently took her hands and placed them in cream and herb mixture in the bowl. He set the bowl in her lap with her hands inside. “I’m going to go get the salve Mel mixed up and some clean bandages.”

Kalissa stared down at her submerged hands. She wouldn’t change a thing. No matter how much pain she was in at this moment, she also knew that it could have been a lot worse. She was not bitter for not having Ayden the last fifteen years. They were together now and would be for the rest of their long existences. They had centuries together to make up the lost time.

That last thought brought a smile to her lips.

The bedroom door opened to Lydia peeking around the door. Smiling at Kalissa, she walked into the room and sat down on the edge of the bed. She pulled one of Kalissa’s hands out of the bowl and gently dried it with a hand towel she’d brought in with her. “The burns look better today. A few more days and I can speed the healing a little.”

Kalissa looked at Lydia and asked, “How long have I been asleep?”

“About three days.”

“Three days?” Kalissa asked.

Lydia nodded and took Kalissa’s other hand out of the bowl and dried it. “Yes. You were exhausted, and dehydrated. I am guessing you didn’t eat, drink, or sleep much in the eighteen hours you were being held.”

Kalissa raised her eyebrows. “Do you blame me?”

“No. I would have done the same. Then you used all your magical strength to dispose of Liam. It wiped you out,” Lydia finished as Ayden walked back into the room with Khloe and Melaina behind him. Ayden handed Lydia a small container with a thick salve, picked up the bowl of cream, and set it on the end table. “Thanks,” Lydia said then went to work coating Kalissa’s hands with the salve.

Ayden came around the bed to sit next to Kalissa. Kalissa laid her head on his shoulder.

“I’m going to leave your fingers and thumbs out since the worst is on your palms and the backs of your hands. That way, you can have a little use of your hands.” She gave Kalissa a sly smile and gave Ayden a pointed look.

Kalissa could feel her cheeks start to blush.

Khloe spoke up with a question for Ayden. “Have you asked her?”

Ayden chuckled. “She beat me to it.”

“That sounds like my sister. Always in charge.” Khloe picked up the ring box and dodged Kalissa’s foot as it swung out at her. Lydia finished wrapping her hands and moved to sit at the foot of the bed.

“He said the vows first, though.” Kalissa pressed her lips to Ayden’s and then laid her head on his chest.

“So, when’s the binding ritual?” Khloe said with the eagerness of a five-year-old.

“Not sure. I want to wait until my hands are healed enough to wear the ring.” Kalissa looked at Lydia.

“Another week, at least. I don’t want to rush the growth of new skin cells.”

Khloe clapped her hands together. “Great! Let’s make it for two weeks from today. I’ll take care of the catering. Oh. And I can guarantee no rain.”

Ayden went to say something, but Kalissa stopped him. “Don’t bother. She’s unstoppable now.” Ayden wrapped her in his arms and kissed the top of her head. “What about Demetrius?”

Melaina broke her silence from the chair by the window. “He’s been quiet. We took care of the Etchens. He didn’t have a backup plan. Apparently, Liam was his spy. That’s how he was able to stay a step ahead of us. Now, I think he is regrouping and thinking of another strategy. I’m sure we haven’t heard the last of him.” 

“We have to build up our resources.”

“Zach has done an awesome job with the network. We call it the Enchanted Engagement. I thought of the name and put it to a vote. It is truly a work of art. Zach and I are admins. I set everyone up with a login. Your temporary passwords should be in your email accounts.” Khloe beamed as she bragged about Zach’s design.

Lydia stood up and said goodnight. Melaina followed suit. Khloe, on the other hand, was a little more reluctant to leave her sister’s room. Kalissa cleared her throat. Khloe looked at her and smiled. “Okay. I can take a hint.” Khloe grabbed Kalissa in a tight embrace. “I love you,” she whispered in Kalissa’s ear.

Kalissa kissed her sister on her cheek. “Love you, too.” Khloe released her and left the room.

“She was worried about you.”

Kalissa shivered with chills that came from Ayden’s husky voice in her ear. “I know.”

“So was I.” He rolled her to her back and kissed his way down her cheek to her jawline and then down her neck to her breast. “I’ve missed every inch of you.”

“Have you?” she asked. He nodded as he kissed his way down her stomach. “Show me every day for the rest of our lives.”

He came back up her body to look in her violet eyes. “Multiple times a day, if needed.”

Kalissa cupped his face with her bandaged hands and kissed him deeply, only breaking to say, “I’ll love you forever.”

Ayden smiled. “And I you.”

The day had
finally come. In just a few hours, Ayden and Kalissa would complete the ritual that would bind them to each other until one or both of them died. Kalissa looked at herself in the full-length mirror for one last check before walking down the aisle. Her elegant, form-fitting, lavender satin dress barely touched the floor and had a slit running up her right leg to mid-thigh. The spaghetti strap top was embroidered with roses in a slightly darker shade of purple than the dress. Her newly cut hair fell two inches below her shoulders and was left to flow loosely around them. There was no makeup, no shoes, no jewelry, and no nail polish on fingers or toes. Everything was left natural. It was the only rule they had for their rituals.

“You are breathtaking as always.” Khloe’s face came into view in the mirror. She also sported the natural look, and looked completely identical to Kalissa except for her eyes. “Are you ready?” she whispered, her teal eyes glossy.

Kalissa nodded nervously, picking a couple of tissues out of the box to hold in her clammy hands.

A little while later, Noah came in. “If you will let me, I would like to give you away.”

Tears threatened to spill over Kalissa’s lids, wishing her father could be there. “That would be nice.” She gave him a puzzled look before asking, “Aren’t you performing the ritual?”

He smiled at her. “Someone else has stepped in to do the honors.”

By his tone, and the look in his eyes, she knew better than ask who. Noah was the most secretive man she knew. There was no getting any information out of him. She took a deep breath. “I’m ready.” She looped her arm in his and let him lead her to the backyard.

The area had been converted into a wedding scene fit for a fantasy. The guest’s seats were arranged in a half circle in front of the altar. This wedding was different because it was the union between two Divinities. The other Divinities took their places along the edge of the circle at the four points of direction: North, East, South, and West.

Glass globes strung along the pathway from the house to the circle held fireflies and glowed a soft, pale lavender with the aid of pixie dust. A bonfire in the middle of the circle blazed with radiant orange and blue behind the altar. Ayden stood next to an unfamiliar woman with power emanating from her. Kalissa possessed a strong urge to bow to her. Was it really her? She tightened her grip on Noah’s arm. “Is that…?”

He nodded. “It is. Hecate. She insisted on performing the ritual. She is of higher power. Who am I to argue?” he said with a grin.

Kalissa was more nervous now than before. She had never met the goddess before. She had only heard about her from her mother. She fixed her eyes on Ayden as she walked across the yard toward the circle. He gave her a smile that made her want to run to him. When they reached the inside of the circle, Noah placed Kalissa’s hands in Ayden’s and kissed her on the forehead. It was something her father would have done if he had been there to give her away. Noah walked around to stand on Hecate’s right.

Hecate turned to Noah. “Where is your other grandson?” Her tone was soothing but firm.

Before Noah could answer, Zach came across the yard, buttoning his white dress shirt. “So sorry, Goddess. There was a shooting in Jacksonville that spilled over to Maxville. The humans just don’t have the sense to take a vacation from killing one another.” He stopped in front of her and went down on one knee.

Kalissa swore she saw a half smile form on the goddess’s lips before she caught herself and forced a straight and firm face. “You may stand and take your place.”

Zach stood, sent Kalissa a grin, and took his place on the opposite side of Hecate from Noah.

“We are here on this beautiful night to unite two
magickin
together. But these are not your ordinary witches. Ayden Daniels and Kalissa Bradenton are Divinities. They have pledged their love for one another, and wish to be bound together, body, mind, and spirit.” Hecate held her hand out toward Noah. He placed a medium-sized dagger in her palm. She held her other hand out to Zach, who handed her a small ceramic bowl from the altar table behind her. Hecate offered the knife to Kalissa and instructed her to prick her finger on the tip of the blade and let her blood drop into the bowl. Kalissa did what she was told and gave the boline to Ayden, who repeated the act before giving the bowl and dagger to Noah. Noah disappeared behind Hecate.

Hecate took Ayden’s and Kalissa’s linked hands in hers. “I bind this couple together as magical partners to protect, love, and cherish one another until death parts them.”

Kalissa gasped as she felt energy come from Ayden into her, return to Ayden, and then back to her again. Their magic mixed together and wrapped around them both. She felt a tingle on her arm where her marks lay. She looked down, and Ayden’s rose was as vivid as hers. The vine grew to coil up and around her arm. Ayden took her left hand and slipped the exquisite purple diamond onto her ring finger. Then he grabbed her by the waist and pulled her into a deep, passionate kiss. They were fully bonded. Her awareness of him was incredible.

She leaned into him, loving the wholeness she felt. He really did complete her in every way.

Lydia carried the bowl back to the center of the circle, diverting Kalissa’s attention from Ayden and transferring it to Zach. Taking it, Zach added his blood to the mix and handed it to Hecate.

Hecate pricked her own finger, adding a few drops of her blood. “With my blood and the blood of the Divinities, I bind this group together to protect humanity from the evils of Khan and his followers.” She lit the contents of the bowl on fire. The fire flared brightly and then was gone in a puff of smoke. The smoke swirled in the air and around each Divinity, binding them as one.

“The bond is strong. You can merge together as one and become an unbeatable force. Your new mark is your link to me,” Hecate said and went to speak to Noah.

Kalissa looked at her arm.  Etched on the inside of her wrist was a replica of the Sinew—a multi-colored sphere encased in Hecate’s Wheel. She smiled and hugged Ayden tightly. For the first time in her life, she had a mission, and she was going to be sure to do her best to succeed. As she looked around at the rest of the Divinities who now lived with her and Khloe, she knew she wouldn’t have to fight this battle alone.

The End

Continue The Divinities series with book 2, Death’s Storm

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