Once again this chapter is entirely in Damen's POV. Hopefully it won't disappoint. Please let me know what you think as reviews are like chocolate to me!! Thanks for reading, and for the awesome reviews.
Chapter Two
Shadowland, a place well beyond the safety of the veil of light, a place I never imagined I'd ever visit. Not that the thought scared me, but it means crossing into the Darklands just beyond the bridge. An unsettled feeling clenches in my gut as I press my eyes closed and visualize the edge of the veil, seeing the brilliant lines and contours of the shimmering light. An involuntary shudder courses through my body as I peer through the glimmering light into shadowed darkness, but whatever lies beyond is shrouded and foreboding.
Truth be known, I'm not even sure the answer I seek can be found in Shadowland, but if not there, what other choice do I have? Although I'm fairly certain Ever didn't kill Roman because she believes he might have a possible cure, I'm not willing to risk our future together on the word of a Rogue Immortal. He already tricked Ever once, and with his charismatic charm, turned everyone against her, so pretty much anything he does or says is only suited to serve his own selfish needs.
Pressing my eyes closed, I once again focus all my energy and thoughts on the veil of light, envisioning myself standing at the threshold of the Shadowlands. But as I open my eyes and glance around, I find myself still standing in the field of flowerless stems. Undaunted, I try several more times before resigning myself to the knowledge that without a clear image of what the place looks like, I won't be able to mentally transport myself there.
That left me with only one alternative. Capria.
I swore I would never again cross her path after our first and last encounter, but there is no denying she knows certain things that make her a powerful ally and an even more deadly enemy. Yet, for Ever and our chance at happiness, it is an easy decision. As I close my eyes to draw her image to mind, a voice from behind calls out to stop me.
"Don't do it, Damen."
Without having to look I know it is Rayne, and as I swing around to stare at her, I see her twin sister Romy standing at her side. They both look nearly the same as the last time I saw them, except now they both are wearing what looks to be private school uniforms, and their long dark hair is pin-straight, bangs cut severely across their foreheads. When I happened upon once before while in Summerland, they both wore their hair in soft curls that framed their faces, lessening the severity of their deep, almost black eyes. Their new look was definitely not an improvement.
"He won't listen to you," Romy hisses as she bends to pull up her sock that has fallen loosely around her ankle. "What lies beyond the veil is not for his eyes to see, but like Ever he won't listen."
"Do you know how I can get there?" I say, eying Rayne as I know she's more likely to give me the answers I seek even if she believes I'm doing the wrong thing.
"The things that are well beyond the veil are neither living nor dead, Damen, and I won't help you destroy yourself when you haven't even considered yourself in this equation."
"I've had over four hundred years to consider myself in this equation, and without Ever, my life adds up to nothing, so if you know how to get there you have to tell me."
"No," she says with a shake of her head, eyes never straying from mine, "we won't help you. There's always another way, you just have to look for it."
"He won't listen," Romy interjects, the anger in her sing-songy voice unmistakable as she takes a hold of her sister's hand. "But know this, Damen, as it's our warning to you – once your mind no longer sees what's right before your eyes, it may be too late to turn back." Leave it to Romy to talk in riddles instead of speaking plainly, but before I even have the chance to open my mouth to ask her what she meant, both girls vanish.
Although Romy's final words weigh heavily on my mind, the image of never again being able to touch or kiss Ever quickly overshadows any lingering doubts I might have about seeking out Capria for her help. With a heavy sigh, I close my eyes and conjure the image of her in my mind, recalling how she loves dressing as if she's a Greek Goddess with long flowing gowns cinched at her narrow waist with wide golden belt. Her eyes, a deep shade of bluish-violet match her favorite flowers, give nothing away of her treacherous heart nor does the soft blush of her cheeks. Her hair, softly swept up and pinned at the crown of her head, fall gently in shimmering, coppery ringlets, framing her perfect heart-shaped face. In my mind, I see her clearly, delicate and beautiful beyond words.
Her soft, infectious laughter fills my mind as does the scent of jasmine and honeysuckle, and without having to open my eyes, I know I've found her.
"You flatter me, Damen," she says with a chuckle, reading my thoughts. "You must want something from me because as I recall, we left things on very bad terms the last time we met."
As I open my eyes, I realize I haven't even begun to do her true beauty justice with my memory of her. "Your beauty was never in question, Capria," I say, eying the golden serpent bracelets that wind their way up both of her forearms, "It was your fangs that left me cold."
"Ouch." She chuckles, not the least bit offended. "A bit harsh don't you think?" With a dismissive wave of her hand, she motions for me to follow her into her garden of windflowers. "But I say let bygones be bygones, and all that nonsense."
Staying rooted to my spot, I call out to her, "I need a favor."
"A favor?" Her voice rises slightly, intrigued. She turns, fingertips brushing lightly over buttery-yellow snapdragons, and in an instant they all transform to butterflies and flutter away. "I never thought I'd live to see the day when you would search me out for another favor . . . yet, being an Immortal does some times have its advantages."
"I want go to the Shadowlands, and I know you know how to get there." I purposely leave out my reasons, and carefully guard my thoughts against thinking about Ever. If Capria knew how deeply I love Ever, she would hold the key within her grasp to destroy me completely, and I couldn't allow for that to happen.
"Why would you Ever want to go there for?" A smile gracing her features, she lifts a delicate brow in such a way as to leave me with little doubt that she knows all about Ever, and our relationship. "It must be very important. Care to share your sudden interest in breeching the Veil? And don't tell me it's just because you want to see what's on the other side."
"And if I said it was none of your business?"
"Oh, you are touchy today, aren't you?" Within a blink she's at my side, lightly caressing my cheek with the backs of her fingers, and as I shudder involuntarily, she removes her hand. "Ever the lovestruck fool, Damen. When will you Ever learn that somethings are just not meant to be?"
Meeting her steady gaze, I stand motionless as I say, "I know your price, and I'm willing to pay it, but in return you will leave Ever out of this. Is it a deal?"
"Ten complete memories?" she asks, brows furrowing as if she can't believe I am willing to pay such a high price for the sake of love, but as I give a curt nod she smiles. "Then you have a deal," she adds, and with a wave of her arm a golden dagger appears in her right hand.
I'd once told Ever there was no such thing as vampires, and that is the truth to the best of my knowledge which is pretty extensive, but there are Blood Drinkers. Immortals who drink the blood of others to gain memories. The only catch is that the blood has to be offered willingly or else the memories will only be superficial and of no consequence to the Blood Drinker's victim.
"No memories involving Ever," I remind her as she takes a hold of my arm.
A sardonic grin twists on her dewy soft lips, revealing the monster that hides beneath the beauty. "Why would I need them."
It wasn't a question; there are many things I've done in my past that I am undoubtedly ashamed of, and any one of those memories might be enough to tear Ever from me forever. Capria understands this – counts on it. I had once hurt her, and now she is searching for revenge, and my memories will provide the information she needs to inflict the most harm possible. Still as I thought of all the times I'd lost Ever in the past, and now face losing her in the present, I am unwilling to consider the consequences.
"Just get it over with."
"As you wish," she says, and as she slices deeply into my arm, ten vials appear and hang suspended in midair.
My eyes squeezing closed, a low, guttural growl erupts from my lips as she fills each vial in turn, and seals them with ornamental stoppers that each depict various demons. However when she finishes filling the last vial, she brings it to her lips, smiles, and downs it in one gulp.
"Oh, Damen, you have been a very bad boy." She chuckles, licking the last of my blood from her lips. "I can hardly wait to see what your other memories reveal as this one is absolutely delicious."
Heart pounding hard within my chest, I inwardly cringe, momentarily reliving the horrible memory she is referring to, and then consciously push it back into the deepest recesses of my mind. "You've gotten what you want, now how do I get to Shadowland?"
Smiling coyly, she grasps hold of her hair, twirling a finger through one of her coppery ringlets as she shrugs. "I don't see any real reason why we can't leave right now if you're in such a hurry."
"No," I adamantly shake my head, "you're not going with me, that wasn't a part of the deal."
"It may not have been apart of your deal, but it certainly was a part of mine." Narrowing her dazzling violet eyes on me, she folds her arms across her chest, and waits for me to concede. Her smirking grin – a challenge – dares me to tell her she can't go with me, when all-the-while she knows I can't refuse her. "Believe me, Damen, I'm doing you a favor, you definitely do not want to go to Shadowland alone."
I'm certain she has her own agenda, and my personal welfare is probably the furtherest thing from her mind, yet instead saying 'no' like my brain is screaming for me to do, I give a curt nod.
"Huh, no argument?" She quirks a brow as she studies me more closely, hoping to hone in on some mental image that she isn't privy to, but I'd long ago learned to close off my mind to other Immortals, and especially her. "No telling me that you wouldn't be caught dead with the likes of me? This trip to Shadowland must be really important to you . . . care to give me a glimpse of what we're going there for? Maybe I can help."
The very last thing on Capria's mind is to help me in any capacity. She's a parasite, and I can already feel her burrowing her way into my mind like she'd done once before, and had it not been for Drina I would have forgotten all about Ever and the love I feel for her.
"We should go," I say, turning my back on her before I get lost in the depths of her entrancing violet eyes.
"Alright, take my hand." When I hesitate, suspicious of her motives, she chuckles. "It's not like I'm asking you to kiss me, Damen. Although as I recall you always seemed to enjoy kissing me." She moves to stand beside me, and entwines her fingers in mine. "Look, I'll make you a promise, the only way I'll kiss you is if you're the one doing the asking – so, if that's all settled can we go?"
I know this is a huge mistake, know that she is already weakening my carefully built defenses against her, but as I feel the warmth of her hand in mine my brain gets jumbled and I can't find the words to deny her anything she wants. "Whatever you want, Capria," I say, and as the words tumble from my mouth I envision Ever standing alone on the sandy shore of Summerland, tears sparkling in her blue eyes as her cries for me to come back to her go unanswered.