Aurora’s Betrayal Page 6

18

  Aurora

  “Again!” Perses shouts from his spectator spot on the edge of the flat field.

  He brought me out here at the crack of dawn to train.

  Really, I think it’s that and a distraction from my emotions yesterday. I’ll admit, burning the shit out of stuff helps.

  When I first saw the field, I was in awe. Trees made an archway for entry, and wildflowers surround the border.

  For the first hour, Perses made me draw my power as quickly as possible, then cleanly merge it back into myself. I did this on his command, and every time I was too slow, Bob hit me with a tree branch.

  Bloody gremlin. I’ll be covered in bruises.

  Perses spent the second hour testing what kind of reaper powers I possess. We know I can touch a soul. He tried to test my wings, but I only managed to make them from smoke, so we gave up. Perses claims more powers will appear, and I need to be ready.

  I don’t know how to do that, but okay.

  Now? He moves a target for me with his magic, shouting defensive options. Apparently, I need to work on defending myself. Saving the witch world won’t be easy, and he wants me to have the best options.

  “Fire!” he shouts as the wooden target springs up in front of me.

  I call my magic, I’ll admit a lot faster than I was ever able to before, and form a ball of fire. I fling it at the target. The first couple of times, my aim is off, but I get better as we practice.

  Another target pops up and makes its way to me.

  “Flame!” Perses shouts.

  In the process of making the ball, another target appears to the right of the first.

  “Explode!” he orders.

  I stare at him in horror, but the targets draw closer.

  Quickly, I throw the fireball, and the target catches fire. I focus on the second target and imagine it exploding as I fling my magic out. Wood splinters fly everywhere.

  I stand there in shock. Holy shit, I’m a badass.

  Perses laughs and claps from the sideline.

  I collapse on the grass in a sweaty lump.

  Bob comes to stand over me.

  “Don’t you dare lick me,” I warn him.

  He smiles and nods to himself. “Silly witch is fast.”

  As I move to stand, Bob uses his stick to sweep my feet from under me. I tumble back down again and stare at him in shock.

  “Hmm, not fast enough.” He hits my leg with the stick. “Silly witch.”

  Satisfied with that, he waddles off.

  “Gremlin!” I shout after him.

  “Silly, slow witch!” he shouts back.

  I lay in the grass, contemplating throwing a fireball at him. He’d probably catch it or something crazy. I allow my eyes to close, trying to rest my magic a little from all its use.

  Perses claimed it’s like skinny jeans, I need to wear them in or they’ll stay tight. Him and his metaphors. I guess he means the more I use my magic the more access I’ll have to it.

  Also, gods wear skinny jeans?

  My magic buzzes through me. It’s become a comfort knowing I can protect myself if needed. A bit filters out of my fingers, and I watch as the violet power plays over them.

  When the ground reacts under my hand, I scramble up. I watch where I had lain, mystified. Perses’s shadow falls over me, but I don’t pay him any mind.

  A green bud shoots up through the soil, and a second follows. I tilt my head as they grow rapidly until they reach my ankles. They stop and blossom. I can’t look away from the first flower. It’s violet. Like, actually violet. The second one is black. Four more appear around the violet one, creating an incomplete circle. They each bloom a different color: green, gold, white, yellow, and blue.

  “What the—” My voice fills with awe.

  “The earth is welcoming you. Your power called to something in it.” Perses watches as the flowers continue to grow.

  They now reach to my knee. “What do the colors stand for?”

  “One for each of your bonds,” he says with a serious expression.

  I look to him, more confused than ever. “The earth knows what my bonds are?”

  “The earth is a sentient being, Aurora. This is a prophecy ring. They see what you do not.” He begins to walk away.

  Okay, too much information for today.

  I turn away from the weird flowers, but whisper a thanks to the ground because, hey I don’t want it to trip me or something for being ungrateful.

  As I walk away, a rumble sounds, and I glance back. Three more flowers joined the six already there and complete the ring around the violet one.

  I hurry after Perses.

  “You know, I never asked where we are. I know you said in the in-between, but is it real? Is this house real?” We sit in the library again.

  Perses, stretched out across from me, quirks an eyebrow.

  Why can everyone do that? I try, and when he throws me a strange look, I let my face relax. They always make it seem so easy. If I can master two powers, surely mastering my eyebrow shouldn’t be hard. Dammit.

  “Are we real?” I ask again.

  Bloody gods. Why can’t they be like yes or no?

  Obviously reading my face, he says, “This is my house. You’re here, so yes, this is real. You, however, are not. You’re like a ghost here.”

  I nod. Makes sense if my body is back with my guys. “So where is here?”

  “This is where the gods live,” he replies cryptically.

  Okkkaayy.

  “So, when do I start looking for the dead witch?” Not to sound impatient, but I want to go home.

  “You’re not ready yet. You need to hone your abilities. I need to know you have the skills you might need when bringing him back.”

  I guess I never thought that through. I’ll be bringing someone back from the dead. “How will it work?”

  Perses sits up and takes on a serious edge. “He has not passed to the other yet. So he’s stuck in—how do you humans say it—Purgatory?”

  I nod and drop my legs from under me to sit up. Yikes.

  “You’ll need to travel there. Then, when you find him, you must lock his soul with yours. This will complete the binding process and effectively give life to his spirit. When you return to your body, you’ll bring him back with you.”

  Okay, makes sense. Ignore that. It’s crazy.

  “But he’ll have a body?” I worry I’ll have a spirit stuck in my body. It’s enough with me in here.

  “He will.”

  I know I look confused.

  Perses sighs. “Magic, Aurora. You’re born of magic. You’re in a realm in your mind, and you’re questioning if bringing him back to your world will bring all of him back?”

  Okay, when he put it like that, it sounds stupid. “Will his body be rotten?”

  I have a weird image of a zombie witch in my head.

  “No,” he says through a chuckle.

  “Wait.” My voice rises. “Did you say I have to complete the binding with him?”

  “Yes,” he answers carefully.

  Smart.

  I stand and pace, trying to form my thoughts into a cohesive sentence. “You said he had a choice. That’s not much of a choice. Plus, I don’t know him!” I throw my hands in the air. “How can I bind to someone I don’t know?”

  Trying to control my panic, I stare at Perses. I mean, what if this guy is a total asshat?

  Perses is quiet for a while, taking it all in.

  I twiddle my fingers.

  “I have a plan,” he finally replies.

  Relieved, I nod.

  “We’ll train every day, work on everything,” Perses continues. “Every night, you’ll review the lost witch’s memories. If you find yourself not completely horrified and are willing, I will guide you through the binding process, and you may bring him back.”

  I sit back. Okay. There’s a choice. My panic lessens.

  “His memories?” I ask for clarification.

  “The mirror can do
more than see into the now.”

  Wow, that’s some mirror.

  Perses looks worried. “Is that okay?”

  “If I decide I can’t—” I look away and pause. “If I can’t bind him, is there another way without me going all dark and crazy?”

  “There are always other options, Aurora. But they chose these men for a reason, and each strengthens you in a way. When your men were blessed, every aspect of them was checked.”

  “What does that mean?” I really need to stop asking questions.

  “It means, Aurora, each man is selected because of their strength, heart, and loyalty. I think, if you give him a chance, you’ll be surprised.” His voice is neutral.

  “Okay,” I grumble.

  He smiles and stands. “Good, now get some rest. Tomorrow will be a big day.” With that, he walks toward the door.

  I twist to stare at his retreating form. “Wait. What’s his name?”

  The guys never told me.

  “Darius,” he says over his shoulder, then sweeps out of the room.

  I turn back to the fire. Darius. It’s a nice name.

  Let’s hope he matches it.

  19

  Aurora

  The boy, no, the man in front of me is, in one word, stunning. His skin reminds me of moonlight, and his smile lights up the room, yet there’s a softness to him. His coiled muscles, though, point to a dangerous side.

  Does he still have that softness? Is he awake like me in Purgatory, or does he sleep?

  I can’t imagine being awake all that time, trapped. It would twist even the best of men.

  Perses brought me to the mirror room last night and showed me how to use it. He kept his promise and offered me the chance to watch the memories of the man who I’m supposed to save.

  I hesitated at the time, feeling like I was invading his privacy, and went to bed to think on it.

  This morning, I trained in a daze. Sometime during the night, I got over my uncertainty and decided to watch a few memories to learn more about the witch I would bind myself to.

  If this binding is forever, I deserve to look.

  That’s what I tell myself, anyway, when the guilt arises. It helps, as well, that I get to see my men. They’re nearly always present in Darius’s memories. Their bond and brotherhood are more obvious than ever. I knew they were a family, but their closeness in his memories is a reminder.

  Seeing them now compared to in Darius’s memories, I notice a difference in them. The sadness, the hardness, but it’s the distance that shocks me. Like they’re avoiding getting to this family state again in case it only leads to heartache. I also notice how they started to open up when I was there, but I’m not too big headed to think it was only because of me.

  “Fine,” Ben grumbles in the mirror in front of me, throwing me back into what I was doing.

  Watching the first memory or so made me uncomfortable. Now, a sudden thought hits me. What if I see Darius with another woman? That would be weird. What if I see my guys with other women?

  Irrational jealousy runs through me. Logically, I know they have a past like I do, but there’s a difference between acknowledging it and seeing it firsthand. Nerves make me sit up straighter, and new tension runs through me.

  I can’t believe I didn’t think of this before.

  As Ben makes his way through the restaurant to a man in the corner, Darius throws his head back in laughter. I don’t know what they’re doing, but it’s obvious by Ben’s displeasure it was a dare.

  I watch Darius. He’s an attractive man, I’ll give him that. Okay, not attractive, but rather, hot as hell. His face is chiseled and handsome, his body muscular and trim, his lips full and lush. An ever-present twinkle fills his eyes, like he knows something no one else does. From the memories I’ve seen so far, it’s obvious he and Ben find trouble when they’re together. It sheds light on Ben’s heartbreak. I knew they were close, but losing this type of friendship, brother-bond, would break any lesser man.

  I watch in disbelief and amusement as Ben tries to flirt with the man in the corner, his back to Darius. From his tight eyes and stiff body, he’s not comfortable.

  Eventually, he walks back over to Darius.

  “So, need a condom?” Darius says through laughter.

  Ben grimaces and slumps in his seat. “Shut up. Like you could do better.”

  Darius laughs again, flashing that same smile from the photograph. “Wanna bet, princess?”

  Ben sits up with new determination. “Wager?”

  Darius nods. “If I can get his number, I want you to perform a song for all the guys while wearing a pretty dress.”

  His smile is infectious, and I find myself smiling with his mischievous mind.

  Ben’s excitement falters but he replies anyway. “Fine, and if you lose, you have to.”

  Both men smile at the challenge, then lean and shake on it.

  “Watch and learn.” Darius downs his drink and struts to the man.

  It’s like I’m a camera in the room. It’s strange, because sometimes I’m in Darius’s head, sometimes I’m in one of the other guys’ heads, focusing on Darius, and sometimes it’s like I’m a statue in the room. I did ask Perses about it and he smiled at me. Sneaky gods and their secrets.

  I can’t hear their conversation, but the guy slips a napkin over to Darius, who winks at him. He slowly walks back to Ben, fanning himself with the napkin.

  Incredulous, Ben’s mouth hangs open as he watches Darius sit back down. “No way.”

  Darius nods smoothly, throwing the napkin at his stunned friend. “What will you sing, twinkle toes? Oh, how about Barbie Girl?”

  Darius is almost giddy with excitement, and I find myself shaking my head with a smile at their banter. It makes me miss my guys, and a pang of longing hits me.

  The mirror knows what I want, don’t ask how, and fogs over.

  Seconds later, I burst out in laughter. There, in nothing but his trousers and a pink feather boa is Ben belting his heart out to ‘I Will Always Love You.’

  In the corner, Darius cries with laughter. Jason laughs, too. Ezra looks stunned, and Alex wears his usual blank mask, but his lips twitch. Ben shimmies around them and uses the boa to wrap it around Ezra’s neck.

  I find myself laughing along as I watch the performance.

  Ben gyrates his hips at Alex, then turns and sits on Jason’s knee. He carries on singing and leans back, wrapping his arm around Jason’s neck as his sings.

  Near the end of the song, he jumps up and belts out the last few words.

  “Thank you, thank you very much.” He bows and I can’t help but laugh.

  I miss my Benny. I miss his teasing, his laughter, but this will do for now.

  The mirror fogs again, and another memory pops up.

  I’m in Darius this time, and I giggle to myself because that sounds filthy.

  He’s in what looks like a library, sprawled on a chair reading a book.

  I sit with him for hours as he reads. It’s another side I didn’t expect from him. To be honest, he’s not what I expected at all. It’s clear he’s loyal and kind of a joker, but there’s also this seriousness, like he might be laughing at the world underneath a thousand plans and thoughts that run through his head. He faces the world with happiness and wonder.

  I tingle as nerves run through me, then sadness. Will he still be like that?

  “Again.”

  Perses and I sit on the sofa in the living room facing each other.

  Our knees touch, and he smiles patiently at me.

  I close my eyes. Apparently, to bond to someone fully, everything must be laid bare. Perses hesitantly told me Darius might not be completely sane, so I might have to force the bond.

  The idea makes me sick, but I nod.

  He’s trying to teach me to pass someone’s barriers. It’s important that our magic and minds touch at the same time. Then, we must share blood. Seems easy enough, right? I’ve pushed into someone’s mind before, but he was hu
man, and I sort of fumbled my way through it.

  Perses doesn’t make this easy. He built a steel wall around his mind, and his magic attacks me as I struggle to pry it open. I’ve tried nearly everything: climbing it, searching for a way around it, looking for cracks.

  “If he’s not completely himself, he won’t make it easy,” Perses says.

  I open my eyes to look at him again. “What if this isn’t what he wants? What if I bind myself to him, and he comes back and hates me for it? What if everyone else hates me for it?”

  Perses gently grabs my hand and pries open the fist I didn’t realize I made. “It’s not so black and white, little Aurora. He might be mad at first, but he’ll be happy to be alive, as will his brothers. The connection doesn’t have to be sexual. You could make it a friendship. If there was any other way, I would tell you.” He squeezes my hand. “Could you really leave him there, stuck in that place, knowing you could have tried to save him, but were too scared?”

  I shake my head immediately.

  He squeezes my hand again and let’s go.

  I look away in thought. “How did he die?”

  Perses leans back, obviously sensing my need to talk. “Do you really want to know?”

  I face him once more and let him read the answer in my eyes.

  “It was an accident, like I said. The fates control the threads of life. Everyone is destined for something. Him more than most, as you know. But with so many lives hanging in the balance, sometimes mistakes happen. This was one of them. He died protecting his brothers like he would have wanted. The only reason he stayed in Purgatory is because of his destiny, his blessing.”

  I think it through. “Did— Was it painful? Protecting them from what?” I tilt my head in thought. “You said the fates controlled everything. Does that mean we have no free will, no choice?” My voice rises in anger at the end.

  “They do not control everything. You have choice and free will, which can change your path. However, there are those with destinies, like you. You still have choice, but fate has mapped out your life and see the choices you might make.” His expression holds no regret. He’s just telling me the truth.