Nineteen immortals.
Mostly males.
It made sense when one considered the requirements for rebirth. Females weren’t often killed early on in life or in unnatural ways. They lived to a full death, which implied that age diluted the essence of resurrection.
Amazing.
Everything clearly related to bloodlines and souls. Once a person reached a certain life stage, their bodies couldn’t handle the change. Or that was Luc’s theory, anyway. He would have to test it later with Aidan. Whenever he figured out how to escape this mess.
All of the dual-gifted beings were in an oversized firelit cavern with sentries at the exits. Ezekiel had dropped Luc and B here with a little wave before disappearing.
Judgment appeared to be the theme. Aidan and Luc had always suspected this would happen once the blood-drinking immortals realized their offspring could be reborn with multiple powers. None of their hypotheses for this moment were good.
“What do you hear?” Luc asked.
Balthazar folded his arms beside him, his brown gaze scanning the room. “A lot of confusion and fury, some poor plotting, and the voice of one who is not what he seems.”
Luc arched a brow. “One similar to Aidan?”
A nod from the mind reader toward an auburn-haired woman cowering near one of the exits. Her gaze was downcast, her slim shoulders curved into the perfect pose of submission.
A ruse?
Another nod. “She’s a pyrokinetic and powerful and does not belong in this room.”
“A safeguard,” Luc murmured. “In case we misbehave.”
Balthazar nodded. “There’s a meeting scheduled at sunset to decide our fate. It’s her job to make sure we play nice until then.”
“I see.” That couldn’t be too long from now, though it was hard to tell from their place inside the cave. “Can you hear my father?”
“Not yet, but the lethal one who traced us here hasn’t returned again.”
Thereby suggesting Osiris, Ezekiel, and Aidan were still together. Luc kicked a foot up against the wall behind them and relaxed against it in a falsely casual pose. “Tell me about our choices.” Who can we trust? Who can we use? he added.
Balthazar remained quiet, his eyes assessing. Listening, Luc realized. He waited patiently beside his ally, not wishing to rush the man’s judgment. Recruiting a few immortals could aid their escape, but only if they chose wisely.
Several of them wore defeated expressions, others one of immense hatred, and a handful displayed a calm thoughtfulness similar to his own.
“The one brooding in the corner,” Balthazar murmured. “He’s useful.”
Luc followed his gaze to a young male with long brown hair. He had a knee drawn up to his chest and the opposite leg stretched out along the ground. The immortal beside him appeared to be trying to make small talk—unsuccessfully.
“He’s telepathic and claimed his other gift to be linguistics,” B continued. “But that’s not all he can do.”
Dark brown eyes lifted to them—sensing their interest—and narrowed.
Balthazar smiled. “Extremely useful.”
“He doesn’t seem too eager.”
“Leave that part to me,” B replied, his focus shifting. “We need that one too.” He nodded toward another dark-haired man, this one grinning at the nearby sentry. “He’s new—only a few weeks into his immortality—but he grew up here. His father apparently tried to kill him a few times and told Osiris. That’s the reason we’re all here.”
“Why is he smiling?” Luc wondered, frowning. The man looked almost happy to be here.
“He’s taunting the guard, and it’s working. They know each other.”
“Could be a good distraction.” If the young immortal took on the sentry, others would likely follow while Luc and Balthazar slipped out the side. But B was already shaking his head.
“We need him alive and helpful. He can manipulate metal—for miles.”
Luc’s eyes widened. “That’s impressive. What else?”
“Not what, but who. There’s one not amongst us.” He faced the exit farthest from them. “Someone is being kept beyond those walls—he was too lethal to trust in the room. He kills by touch.”
“That would indeed be useful.”
“Assuming we can free him, which we’ll need the woman lying on her back over there to do. She’s petite, but her telekinesis is on point. And she can read minds, too, but only one at a time.” The female in question lifted her blonde head and winked at them. “She’s definitely with us.”
Luc grinned at her. “Fine by me. Anyone else?”
“Not yet.” He popped his shoulder against the wall, arms still folded. “The power outside of this room is vast.”
“Tell me about it.”
Balthazar detailed the various gifts hitting his senses—most of them replicated in the immortals among them, as they were offspring of those beyond the walls—and the various opinions of the immortals outside the cavern. “Some want us dead; others think we could be useful” was his conclusion.
“Meaning our independence is off the table,” Luc translated.
“That’s what it sounds like—either we cooperate or die.”
Are any of them aware of our blood’s impact on them?
The blonde on the floor rolled her gaze their way again, her expression curious.
“No,” Balthazar replied. “Which reminds me, I’ve recently learned that both of our kinds can die by fire or beheading.”
Luc considered the biological attributes of each and nodded. “That makes sense. Flames would destroy the chemical properties in our blood, and a beheading removes the flow to our brains.” That confirmed his theory that souls were connected to the electrical connectivity of the cerebrum.
“So why…?” Balthazar trailed off as he conveyed the rest of that question with his eyes.
Why does our blood impact them? A nod from the mind reader. Probably because our immortality is a mutated version. They rely on human essence for survival, and our souls are tainted. So rather than provide them with the life they need to maintain their immortal selves, we do the opposite.
“An interesting supposition.” Balthazar scratched his chin as the petite blonde rolled to her feet. Rather than approach them, she sauntered over to the young immortal. “Patreena chose the newbie. Let’s go meet the telepath.”
Luc pushed off the wall to follow B. The male in the corner glowered at them as they approached.
Fuck. Off. The growl entered his mind, the voice unfamiliar but clearly belonging to their target.
“He’s friendly,” Luc murmured.
“I love him already,” B agreed as they stopped before him. “Hello, Alik.”
Two dark eyes slit up at them. “How do you know my name?”
“I’m Balthazar,” he continued as if the other man hadn’t spoken. “This is Lucian. I think we…” He trailed off as his attention shifted to the entry. “They’re back.”
“Aidan?” Luc asked.
B nodded, his lips flattening as he went eerily still.
The telepath stood, his head coming up to Luc’s chin. “What’s wrong with him?”
“He’s listening,” Luc whispered.
Patreena seemed oblivious, her focus on the young one who seemed more than happy to flirt with her. She ran her nails up and down his arm, her lips curled in amusement. Whatever they were discussing did not appear related to a potential escape, which was likely the entire point. His suspicions were confirmed as she rose up onto her tiptoes to whisper in the male’s ear, causing his friendly gaze to shift to Luc. Understanding rimmed those dark brown irises while he listened to whatever she told him.
“We can’t make a move yet,” Balthazar said, breaking Luc’s focus. “Aidan says to tell you there is much we don’t understand, that if we try to escape, we won’t make it to the gates. Our best chances are to remain agreeable while he works behind the scenes.”
“Who the fuck is Aidan?” Alik asked, his arms crossed.
“My father.” Luc held Balthazar’s gaze. “What else has he said?”
“He’s in strategy mode, it’s…” Balthazar shook his head. “I can’t navigate.”
“Then he’s concerned.” Luc’s mind worked similarly when in danger. He constantly analyzed every tiny detail.
“Yeah, like that,” Balthazar muttered, massaging his temples. “Our odds increase if we cooperate. They expect us to fight and are more than ready to handle us all.” His focus went to Alik. “Not even you. There’s over a hundred of them, and while I admire and respect what you can do, it’s not the smart play.”
Alik scoffed. “Then you clearly underestimate my skill.”
“No, I’ve heard all about it loud and clear in my head, and while admirable, we need to be smart about it.”
“We? There is no we.” He gestured between the three of them. “I work alone.”
“Then you’ll die alone,” Balthazar replied calmly. “To survive what’s coming, we need to work together. They’re better trained and prepared for our retaliation, and on top of that, they’ve developed trust in each other over the centuries. We’re all new to one another, putting us at an extreme disadvantage. But hey, if you want to go reveal your gift preemptively, have at it.”
Luc snorted. And you call me the leader. He couldn’t have said it better himself.
Distrust and annoyance radiated from the telepath as he folded his arms. “And I assume you’re in charge of this little arrangement?”
Balthazar chuckled. “No, that would be Lucian. He’s over several hundred years old, is a master of strategy, and has an ally on the inside.”
“When did I volunteer for that position?” Luc asked, serious.
“You didn’t, which is why you’re the leader.” Balthazar cocked a brow at Alik. “Whether we continue this conversation or not is entirely up to you, but I’d suggest it. Especially since I can hear what Cyprus has planned for you.”
The telepath scowled. “I’m going to rip that bastard apart limb by limb when I get out of here.”
“Can’t say I blame you. Your father is a real dick.” B crossed his arms. “What’s it going to be? A team effort, or a solo mission?”
Alik looked them up and down. “You’re clearly a mind reader of some sort, but what else can you do?”
Balthazar smiled. “How pissed off are you at your current situation?”
“What?”
“On a scale of one to ten, how angry are you?”
“Are you serious?” The telepath’s brow crumpled. “I’m fucking furious. You?” Sarcasm dripped from his voice, causing Luc to hide a grin behind his hand. He knew exactly what his mind-reading friend had planned.
Balthazar nodded and rubbed his jaw, saying nothing for several seconds. Luc knew his play even before he saw the light flicker in Alik’s otherwise dark gaze. That it took so little effort to manipulate such a furious individual spoke highly of B’s true power. Definitely an asset, not that Luc ever doubted him.
“How do you feel now?” B asked softly.
“Hmm, what?” Alik blinked dazedly at him. “What do you mean?”
“Are you still angry?”
“Angry? Nah, I’m good.” Alik leaned against the wall, his body relaxing. “So yeah, I’m in.”
“Can we hold him to that?” Luc smiled with his eyes, amused. “Or is that cheating?”
“I don’t think it’ll matter in a few seconds,” B mused as he took a step backward.
Alik blinked again, his expression clouding, then his eyebrows lifting. “That…” He ran his fingers through his hair. “Can you do that to multiple people at once?”
“Easily,” B replied. “And to answer your unspoken question, Lucian is essentially omniscient, as he remembers everything, and he can enhance physical pain or pleasure. So sort of like you, except the pain has to be real.”
Alik’s eyes flashed as he reappraised them both. “All right, and if I decide to join this insanity, who else do you have in mind?”
“You’ve already decided,” Balthazar replied, his gaze knowing. “And we’ve tapped those two over there.” He motioned with his head subtly. “They’re staying put for now so as not to make things obvious.”
“And what’s the plan?”
“For now?” Balthazar shrugged. “To play along. That’s really all we can do until we have a better understanding of the situation.”
“Acting on impulse is never the desired ploy,” Luc added. “We observe, we learn, and we act when the opportunity presents itself. It might not happen immediately, but one of the perks of immortality is unlimited time. We’ll act when we’re ready, and in the interim, we’ll determine how best to pair our gifts.”
“What about the others?” Alik asked, glancing around the room.
“I’m still assessing,” Balthazar said softly. “Recruiting them all would be ideal, but likely improbable. Not everyone shares our will to survive.”
Luc nodded. “Let’s discuss our choices and go from there.” He arched a brow at the telepath. “Assuming you’re officially in?” He hadn’t actually agreed yet.
“It’s not like I have a better option.” Alik tucked his hands into his pockets. “Just be advised, I’m not a team player.”
“I can work with that.” Luc palmed the back of his neck and rolled his shoulders. “All right, I need to know more about everyone’s gifts in the room, B. Detail them for me.”