CHAPTER SIXTY FIVE


A legion of warriors stood on the horizon. They stood with golden armor and
with staffs in their hands. Each staff had an orb that sparkled from some
unknown light. One of them moved their staff and the ray of light was blinding
as it swept over the valley and through the forest.


I saw all of them.


There were thousands of them.


Some stood in the back, waiting for their turn to fight.


And others were in the middle of the battle. The valley below me was a small
field. There was more. I heard them. I felt them through the ground.


They were three times the size of a normal man. Some were white with wings
stretched behind them. Some were black and some were gray.


It was a mass of writhing bodies, but I knew there were different kinds.


They were angels.


And there were demons.


An angel swept over me, his wings outstretched, and swooped down to kick at a
shadow form.


An angel fell to the ground as the avenging comrade immediately raised his
sword and cut off the demon's head.


Unlike the demons, the angels were solid. I could see their bodies. I could
see their eyes.


The demons were vague and dark.


My world had fallen to the wayside.


I knew that Ambrea gave me this ability. And I remembered Doron's words.


"…She is weakening and she needs your touch."


I looked over and saw that Ambrea watched me. She was smiling.


I squeezed her hand.


She squeezed back.


An angel swooped over us again. It's shadow followed behind, but as the angel
suddenly turned and stabbed at the shadow—I realized that it wasn't a shadow. It
was a demon.


The angels didn't have shadows.


And they were all different. Some held their staffs proudly. Some raised
their swords. Some wore armor while others did not and I remembered Doron. He
had neither. He had a brown robe and he had the ability to speak to me, to see
me, and to let me see him.


I didn't know if these had that same ability.


And then, just as quick as it had come, Ambrea's hand was wrenched away and
that world fell from my eyes.


I blinked again as my world rushed back at me.


I could hear Marcus talking, his voice was jarring.


Ambrea darted to my side and whispered, urgently, "They're not the same.
They're all different, but they're lovely. Aren't they?"


Her smile was blinding.


I reached out and hugged her. She trembled. No spiritual world came to my
eyes, but I hugged her anyway. Ambrea stiffened in my embrace and looked up.


I followed her gaze and quickly straightened when I saw that Jace stood
there.


The four guards lay behind him on the ground. And now that left Ambrea,
myself, Jace, and Marcus.


Marcus yanked Ambrea to the cliff's edge and cried out harshly, "Not another
step, Lanser. The kid will die and it will be your fault."


Jace had been staring, hypnotized, at Ambrea.


At Marcus' words, he looked at me—as if seeking verification.


I nodded.


She was his daughter.


"She's my daughter." Jace murmured huskily.


Marcus paused momentarily. He glanced at me and saw the truth.


I had been the one to share that information.


Marcus hardened, grabbed Ambrea and shoved her over the edge.


I would've expected words. I would've expected some scream, but I should've
known better.


If there had been any chance for Marcus, it was gone in that instant. He had
chosen his death.


Ambrea fell over the edge while she stared at her father.


Jace bolted forward. He swept past Marcus and leapt over the edge after his
daughter.


Marcus breathed, just a slight second of a breath.


Jace turned, already airborn, and brought his gun up in the air in the same
instant. He shot once. The bullet hit Marcus in the forehead.


It was ironic, really.


Marcus' body crumpled to the ground at the same second Jace fell from the
cliff.


And then it was just me.


"Maya!"


I blinked, once, and reached a hand out. I had fallen to the ground, somehow.
No. I had always been on the ground. I had knelt and hugged Ambrea. And now…


"Maya." Krein rushed to my side, grabbed my elbow, and pulled me upright.


"Krein." I gasped.


"I know." He said softly, but urgently. "Come on."


"Jace—he—"


"I know." Krein pulled me after him. "We saw…we all saw."


"I thought…I did this. I told Jace where…"


"Don't! Stop thinking and just run. We have to get out of here."


I looked over my shoulder. I looked over the cliff's edge, but there was
nothing. I didn't see the army anymore. I didn't see…I kept seeing Jace falling.
I kept seeing his gun raise in the air, the coldness in his eyes, and then he
was gone.


"Come on." Krein said again and dragged me behind him.


Rafe was waiting for us. As we got behind a clump of trees, she said roughly,
"Let's go. Boss will have our ass if we let her get Maya."


"Lily." I said numbly.


"Yeah." Rafe sighed disgustedly. "The dry bitch is here."


"Jace."


"Is…beyond our limits. We can't get to him." Krein tried to say gently.


I slapped him and rounded angrily, "You mean you can't get to him. I can—I
have to—it was me, Krein! I did this!"


Rafe stepped forward and shoved me against a tree. "No. You didn't. Jace went
to save you. That asshole pushed that kid over and Jace went to save her. That's
what happened and none of it is your fault. So don't goddamn start doing some
martyr act. I won't have it."


"She was his daughter." I murmured. "She was his daughter."


Rafe and Krein stood, surprised. They were quiet.


'That asshole pushed that kid over and Jace went to save her...the dry
bitch is here… Lily wants to kill a child… this is all about one
child.'


Ambrea's voice whispered, 'They want Gray. They want him dead…
It is almost my time… I am not of their awareness…"


I remembered Doron's voice, "She is a very special child, but she will
die soon."


"This wasn't about…he told me that I was supposed to make a choice. He told
me that…"


I looked up, shocked, and saw Doron behind Rafe and Krein. Rafe stood with a
rifle in one hand and a handgun in the other. She was half turned towards the
trees. Krein had a gun in his hand, but both watched me, puzzled.


Doron knew.


I looked through them. "What is this about? Tell me."


Doron nodded. "You know."


"What are you talking about…" Krein murmured and turned behind him.


He didn't see Doron.


"Ambrea wasn't talking about Marcus or his men or Lily, was she? She was
talking about the demons. Wasn't she?"


"Demons?"


"The princess has turned psycho. Fitting." Rafe remarked and turned
around.


"Yes." Doron said gravely. He moved through Krein and Rafe. "They want Gray
dead."


"And that's why he's protected. You said that he is always protected. You're
protecting him."


"Yes."


"Maybe you should sit down, Maya."


"What about—who was Marcus protecting?"


Doron smiled sadly, "He wasn't protecting anyone. He was stalling."


"Who does Lily want to kill? Is it Gray?"


"No." Doron shook his head. His robe flapped behind him. "There is still more
to come."


"She was always going to die, wasn't she? You said that there was a choice,
but she was already dying. I went there—I listened to you—for nothing! They're
both dead!" I lurched forward, but only met air.


Doron glided around me.


Rafe chuckled hoarsely.


Krein frowned.


"What—what is going on?" I asked, no—I pleaded.


Doron glided further back. He spoke as if his voice was an inch from my ears.
"There are children here and some of them have the ability to see our realm.
They are graced and cursed. You are right. The grey eyed little girl was going
to die, but I needed you to go to her. I needed you to see—she gave you the
sight."


"He's dead." I grated out.


The shock, the hurt, the questioning—it was dissolving quickly. I was
starting to feel the itch for my blade. I was ready to fight.


Doron moved away and murmured, "Does it matter?"


"Yes. It goddamn does matter!" I said fiercely. "He's dead and I loved
him."


"He loved you." Doron smiled sadly. "He loved you, isn't that what you
meant?"


"What?"


"He loved you. Someone loved you, but they're gone. They always leave, don't
they? Isn't that what plagues you at night? You're not good enough. You don't
inspire them to stay, to…" He glanced at Krein. "…to be a better person—for you.
That's what this is about. He loved you and he is gone. He chose."


"He chose his daughter."


"And he did so honorably."


"If I could—I would hurt you. I would…" I didn't finish my thought. It was
useless.


Doron glided farther away, but I heard his voice call to me, "He chose to
save his daughter. It was a last attempt, but he never hesitated. That speaks
more for what kind of man he was than anything else. You should feel honored
that someone like that loved you. You should feel honored."


And then he was gone.


A shot slammed into a tear near us.


"Fuck!" Rafe bit out and threw us all to the ground. She twisted and raised
her shooting arm. "I hate these bastards."


Two battles. Two worlds.


Krein said tentatively, "Maya, I know Jace. He'll—if there's a way—he'll
survive. You can't kill that bastard. I know. I tried."


It didn't help, but when the bushes rustled behind us, I jerked upright.


Gray stepped out of the bushes, but he stopped immediately.


"Gray!" I cried out.


"What?" Krein whirled around.


He extended his small hand to me. "You're supposed to come with me. I'll show
you where to go."


Krein searched the foliage. "Did you say that you saw Gray? I don't see
him."


I didn't understand it.


I rose and swiftly crossed to him. Gray took my hand as we went into the
bushes and trees.


I also wouldn't know this, but when my hand touched Gray's, Krein saw us both
in a flash. And then we had vanished just as quick.


"Come on." Gray pulled at my hand and started to run.


"Where are we going?"


Gray stopped and was quiet as he looked through the woods. Suddenly, he
pointed, "There. We have to follow her."


"Her?"


"The girl." Gray only said and we were off running again.


We ran farther into the woods and down a hill. I heard the sound of running
water and knew we were nearing a river. Suddenly, I jerked to a stop and saw
something that I had seen before.


A stream was there, just like I had seen before, but this time I looked
across the bank and there was no shadow.


I had dreamt of this place, this exact place, but a little girl had been in
my dreams. She had laughed and ran to the north.


Someone had tugged at my hand in my dream, but as I blinked—I saw that Gray
tugged at my hand.


The shadow—I looked back over.


There was no shadow this time.


An owl screeched and flew past us and then Gray cried out, "There! We have to
go there!"


He dragged me down and through the stream. We ran north.


I felt it before I realized it.


I had seen Ambrea in my dream and Gray saw her now, in real life.


She was leading us somewhere that we needed to go.


"Gray, where are we going?" I asked as we sprinted.


Gray watched ahead and kept running.


"Gray." I slowed him down.


"No. We have to keep going. It's not far."


"Gray." I stopped him and turned him in my arms.


"No! Maya—we have to go! Now, before it's too late!"


"Too late for what?" I framed his delicate face.


"For…" Gray looked back and broke free. "We have to go. He'll explain
everything when we get there, but we have to go now!"


"He?"


"Doron!"


My heart slammed into my throat.


"Doron?"


"Yes. Let's go!" Gray cried out impatiently.


When I still didn't follow, he let go of my hand and started to run on his
own.


"Gray!" I ran after him.


Suddenly the trees fell behind and I stumbled into another clearing a size of
a two football fields. It was all grass with trees that surrounded us, but I
caught movement near the center of gasped.


Lily turned and met my gaze.


She stiffened, but smiled sadly.


"Go." Gray pushed me forward and hid in the bushes.


"What? Gray…"


"Go before they come." He looked around and over his shoulder. "They're
coming soon. Hurry."


And then I couldn't see him any longer.


I didn't know if he did the disappearing act or if he was camouflaged.


It didn't matter.


I turned and saw that Lily had approached.


"Maya." She stated and looked around. The wind picked up and brushed her long
black hair behind her. Her green eyes sparkled as she looked around us. "This is
beautiful, isn't it? Mother nature, she's the mother to us all."


I cut to business and snapped out, "What are you doing here?"


Lily shook her head. She gestured where we had come, "I'm waiting for them.
My men are there."


"You're here while people are getting killed?"


Lily looked at me and asked, sardonically, "Did you expect anything else? I
know Lanser filled you in on everything. He's the only who could figure it out
and you weren't exactly surprised and all shell-shocked to see me just now."


"Marcus said that you want to kill a kid. What kid?"


Surprise flared in Lily's eyes, but she recovered instantly. She smiled,
"Marcus has been sharing our little secrets, has he? Lanser's not alone."


"You know that he has. In fact, you're the one who put me smack in the
middle. Didn't you?"


Lily grinned faintly and sighed. "You weren't supposed to come asking where
Jace Lanser was, no. And you weren't supposed to be able to even find me, but
you did. I'm not stupid enough to pass up a chance like you. You found me,
Maya."


I narrowed my eyes.


Lily added, "You found me and that was nearly impossible. You already wanted
to find Jace Lanser so yeah—I guess that I did help you along, didn't I?"


"You used me."


"Contrary, Maya. You used me. You went to see your brother, went through a
little mind crisis—didn't know what you were supposed to do now and jumped on
the lust terrain."


"What?"


Lily shook her head and rolled her eyes. "You used to talk about him, you
know. You never talked about your brother, but you talked about Jace Lanser. You
saw him one day and it was nonstop after that. I know your kind, Maya. You're
programmed to think aobve the grade. You don't think you have human needs like
the rest of us, but you do. You've wanted to get in Lanser's pants since the
first day you saw him. You've been drooling over that and after you saw your
brother, gave him a piece of your mind—you were free to do the next thing on
your list."


"I did not look for Jace because I wanted to have sex." I seethed.


"No." Lily smirked. "If you wanted sex, you could've gotten it anywhere.
Lanser's been the only guy to make you wet yourself and that's why you went
after him. Had nothing to do with just sex."


"I looked for Jace because I wanted to understand what kind of man could do
that to my brother? He inspired my brother. I wanted his help with Krein."


"Please." Lily chuckled. "You wanted a ride on his dick and we both know it.
You, Maya, have this entire separation between humanity and intellectualism. You
think too goddamn much. That's your problem. You're one of us, honey. You got
the same needs, but you like to deny that fact."


"Lily."


She laughed and asked, "How many times have you ridden him?"


"I used to think of you as a sister."


"Until Lanser. Until this entire fucking business that you weren't supposed
to get involved with." Lily spat out. She faced me squarely and said harshly,
"Fine. Let's have it, Maya. Why don't you tell me how I'm not the same person
you thought I was. Why don't you goddamn tell me how I have failed the 'girl'
that you sacrificed your 'innocence' for. Tell me all that shit. Tell me how you
threw away your 'purity' and cloud-nine idealism on someone like me. Tell me all
of that. Go."


"You're right." I murmured huskily.


Lily braced herself, but she almost flinched. Almost.


I continued, "I saw in you what I wanted to see. I wanted your life, no
matter how much I hate to admit that. Yes, Lily. I wanted to feel safe. I didn't
care who I had to sleep with to do that."


"You turned yourself into a martyr, but you did it on purpose. You're not an
martyr at all. You're just manipulative and pathetic. You couldn't admit to
wanting what I had so you had to go and 'sacrifice' yourself to get in my good
graces."


I slipped my hand behind my back and grasped my knife. I returned smoothly,
"Worked, didn't it?"


Lily barked out a laugh and admitted, "Yeah. It worked."


I had thought of her as a sister. Yes. I had seen in her who I wanted to be.
Everyone does it. Everyone latches onto some person because they've got what you
want. I did it. I could admit that I did it.


"How did this all happen, Lily?" I asked, softly. Sincerely.


Lily gauged my tone, but sighed alongside of me. "I had years to become who I
am today. You—this entire thing—you just got thrust into the middle of it. I'm
sorry, Maya. I am."


"And you and Marcus?"


She cringed, but smiled bitterly, "Marcus is…sick. He has this weird
fascination with owning people. He thinks he was this fucking puppet master and
he could mold us into who he wanted, but he failed with both of us. We fucked
him both, just…in different ways. I took his little business away."


I watched her side-profile. The sun was lifting just beyond her.


Lily laughed to herself, "I didn't give him enough credit. I thought he was
just this sick perverted puppet master, but he wasn't. I should've known. Marcus
figured out my game and he beat me. He gave you the books because he knew it
would drive me insane. I hate him. I fucking hate him."


"He's dead."


Lily looked at me.


"Jace shot him."


Lily's eyes widened.


"Right before Jace jumped over a cliff to save his daughter."


Lily gasped quietly and then snorted. "Don't think that snake is dead.
Lanser's survived worse. He doesn't die. I've tried."


"What is this entire thing about? Can you tell me that?"


"It's about my little sister." Lily said abruptly.


"What?"


"Yeah. I have a little sister, can you believe it? I can. Sal Galverson never
zipped up his pants. It was only a matter of time."


"So all of this is about…"


"I can't have children."


"What?" I shook my head. "Lily, I'm not following."


"Shut up and listen!"


I quieted.


Lily continued, "I can't have children and neither can Marcus. Sal Galverson
isn't the type of ego-maniac to accept those facts. He wants a legacy and that
means children. My father set up a clause in his inheritance. His first child to
produce an offspring will get everything."


The sun was starting to spread across the valley. It hadn't found us, not
yet.


"I can't have kids. Marcus can't have kids. And so we thought we'd split it
all, half and half and we were fine with that. But…fucking cunt lawyers found
another kid. My father had an affair with some nanny six years ago. She gave
birth, but her parents hid the kid. Anyways, their story is like all the others
and our handlers ended up picking up that kid for this operation. They didn't
even know who they had when they took her, but the lawyers realized it later. It
was too late. She'd already been sold off. They couldn't find her…and then my
daddy dearest got executed by none other than his prodigy who 'showed such great
promise.'"


Lily laughed again, harshly. She continued, "Our stupid father. He had the
books, all of the books, coded when he found about her. He worried that we might
do something to her. Can you believe that? I think daddy dearest knew us better
than we wanted to admit, and yet—he loved Jace like a son. I think he wished
that Jace was his son. Anyway, he made sure that no one could read them. Marcus
can't even read them, but her name is in those books."


"You want to kill her and get her out of the way."


"Yeah. I want to find her, kill her, and forget all of this, but Marcus
doesn't care. He just figures that those books won't ever get decoded so she's
gone. No one's going to be able to find them, but…he's such a fucking idiot. He
was giving you the books! You, of all people. You think things through, you see
shit like this. You…you could figure this out. Marcus didn't get that, but…" She
shook her head, disgustedly.


"Marcus doesn't me credit."


"He does, but…he doesn't understand how that little girl could've screwed
everything up for us. It doesn't matter anymore. It's over.You have the books.
You're going to find her and me—I'm going to disappear."


"What about Tray?"


Lily whirled around, shocked.


I nodded. "I know. He's Sal Galverson's son too. What about him? What if he
can have children?"


"If I've learned anything over the last few years being with Chance, it's
that Tray Evans doesn't give one iota about this world. He hates this world. He
hates everything except his brother, his best friend, and his girlfriend. Even
if Tray had a kid, he wouldn't take the empire. No way. Tray's not an
issue."


A shot sounded and blood instantly appeared on Lily's chest. She gaped,
soundlessly, and stared at me in shock. Her hands pressed against the blood, but
it wouldn't take long.


I looked up, over her shoulder, and saw Tray Evans with a gun in his
hand.


"You were wrong, Lily." I murmured. "You were wrong about so much."


She gargled and choked up blood, but she reached out for me before she fell
to the ground.


I had gone through too much to be shocked.


I remarked, coolly, "So you do want the inheritance?"


"Fuck that." Tray bit out. "I have a little sister. I'm not going to let them
hurt her."


It was all about family.


"I want those books, Maya."


I nodded. "I'll get them to you."


"Was she right? Can you decode them?"


I hadn't realized he'd overheard so much, but I shrugged. "I don't know, but
I can try. I'll try, Tray."


He nodded, sheathed his gun, and said, "I need to find my sister."


He had just killed his other sister, but I saw the sentiment was lost on
him.


"And Chance?" I asked.


Tray lifted harsh eyes to me. "What about him?"


"You just killed the woman he loves in cold blood. What if he finds out?"


"He won't." Tray said confidently.


"And what am I supposed to say in the report? I'm not taking the fall."


Tray arched an eyebrow. "You really think there's going to be a report that's
going to get investigated? It'll get swept under the rug. We both know it."


It was true.


"I'll get the books to you." I nodded.


"Thanks." Tray nodded, closed off, but he looked over my shoulder and asked,
"Is that your nephew?"


I turned around and there he was. Gray stepped out of the foliage and smiled
tentatively at me.


When I looked back, Tray was gone.