The Arcana Chronicles 5: The Dark Calling

As he helped me shed my wet clothes, he murmured in French how much he'd loved and missed me, how much he'd lusted for me. "Now you're in my arms. I've imagined this so many times."

The winds gusted, reminding me of when I'd first been with Aric. As soon as the thought arose, I felt myself shutting down, my hands settling on Jack's muscled chest.

He sensed the change, drawing back.

My guilty gaze flitted to my wedding ring. Aric's not coming for you; you can't go to him. Circe's MIA. Make a life with Jack, the man who deserves all the happiness you can give him.

I'd almost lost him tonight.

All I had to do was accept him and revel in the fact that he'd survived.

He grasped my hand. "Let's take this off." He gently drew the ring from my finger, like a reverse engagement.

A nullification.

But I let him. He set it beside the pallet.

"Be with me," he said, his accent thickening. "Stay with me." He nipped my bottom lip, as exciting and sexy as he'd ever been. "Let's stop regretting and start living."

With a breathless nod, I allowed myself to fall under his spell. I gave myself up to it, to him.

His brows drew together. "If I'm goan to love once, I'm glad it's you, peekon."

In answer, I pressed my lips to the cleft in his rugged chin. I feathered kisses along his jaw, then down his neck. I felt his groan beneath my lips. Then I kissed the brand on his chest. It was part of our history, the one we kept making together.

Once we were naked, his heated gaze roamed over me. My body was changing. What would he think of my new shape?

"Mere de Dieu. You're so goddamned beautiful." I'd never felt more naked, more vulnerable, but he sounded . . . awed. "A divinite."

My glyphs glowed brighter, the light reflecting in his gray eyes.

His head dipped, his mouth trailing down my body, seemingly everywhere. My eyes widened as he explored me with his wicked lips and seeking tongue. Between kisses, he'd nip my inner thighs.

I melted for him, my fingers tunneling into his thick hair. "Jack . . . Jack!"

As his rough hands kneaded and cupped, he groaned his delight. He teased me till I was at the very edge, till I was panting and writhing for more. Then he rose up between my legs, threading his fingers with mine.

He gazed down at my face--as he had when he'd taken my virginity in that suspended moment of time. "I've got you, bebe." He'd often told me that, his way of saying don't be afraid; you're safe. Now those words held an aggressive undertone. As if he was telling me, "I'm never letting you go. Never."

That tone thrilled me.

His rigid muscles quaked with anticipation. "A moi, Evangeline." His hips tilted.

My back arched with pleasure. His sinful kiss stole my screams.

35

Day 583 A.F.

By what must have been morning, Jack and I lay side by side, catching our breath as the room stopped spinning. We'd had sex four times over the night.

In a dazed tone, I murmured, "It is like coming home."

He grinned over at me. "That's what I've been saying. When it's good between us, it's really good."

Good? He'd set my nerves on fire.

When we'd slept together months ago, everything had been new for me, our feelings just taking root. This time we'd been different as people, two individuals deeply in love--who'd thought we would never have another chance to express it.

Rising up on an elbow, he peered down at my face, searching my expression. "How're you feeling? Got to know, me."

"I have no regrets, if that's what you're asking." But now reality descended on me with all the finesse of a collapsed ocean liner.

"And guilt?"

I looked away. "Some." Tons.

He pinched my chin, forcing me to face him. "None of that, Evie. We got no time for it."

Though I agreed . . . "I can't help it." Aric was the ghost between Jack and me. Just as Jack had been the ghost between me and Aric.

Forever screwed, Eves.

Making his tone light, he said, "As long as we're talking about the elephant in the room . . . You've been with two beaux, and one of 'em is a supernatural knight."

I saw where this was going, but a comparison between the two was futile. What I'd shared with each man was different--yet perfect in its own way.

And perfect for me couldn't be bested.

"How'd ole Jack compare?" He was partly teasing, but kind of serious too.

His rare show of insecurity made me want to wrap him in my arms and never let go. "You were amazing, and you know it, you cocky Cajun." I found myself grinning, before I shut down.

"No, doan you dwell. Enjoy this peace with me." In a gruff voice, he said, "Being with you is the only thing that makes me feel this way, but it's no good if you doan feel it too."

"I did. Earlier. Now I'm just confused." I didn't regret having sex with him, and surely that made me a bad person. An unfaithful wife. "Jack, I promised Aric forever."

He sat up on the pallet, his scars filling me with equal parts sadness and tenderness. "You made that promise to him when you thought I was dead. And you promised me always, long before he was ever in the running."

"I know, I know." At least in this life.

His broad shoulders rose and fell on a breath. "I'm about to feel a heap of guilt myself."

"Why?"

"For taking advantage of you. The only reason last night happened is because I almost went into the drink. You would've gone your whole life faithful to him, but you relived when you lost me last."

That was true. Still . . . "Maybe I took advantage of you. You were freaked out because you almost died. Didn't you believe you were done?"

He admitted, "Ouais."

"Don't forget I'm supposed to be this minxy seductress/mesmerizer. A mere mortal like you stood no chance."

His lips curled. "So what do we do now, seductrice?"

Despite Jack's efforts, I couldn't relax. I sighed. "After nearly two months, I need to accept that Aric's not coming for me. And saving him from Paul seems even more impossible when we can barely keep ourselves alive." My eyes went wide. "What if that woman from the platform tells others what she saw?"

"We can't stay here anyway. That first liner has never gone down before. The infrastructure's toast."

"What will we do?"

"When our podnas get back, we'll teleport the truck to the cave to load up. If we can talk Kentarch into searching a new area, the four of us'll head south to the Gulf. There

might be a similar situation with ships off the old coast of Louisiana."

"What's taking the guys so long? They've never been gone a whole night before. What if Paul's sphere caught Kentarch?" Another Arcana trapped?

"You're not supposed to be borrowing trouble, supposed to be relaxing for the kid."

"Is that possible A.F.?" No sooner had I made the comment than Jack stilled, cocking his head.

"We got company." We both leapt up, snatching on jeans, dressing in a hurry.

"Is it the guys?"

"Uh-uh." He stomped into his boots.

As I reached for my own, I caught sight of my former wedding ring lying on the floor. With a pang, I pocketed it.

Someone banged on the door. "Open up! It's the Ciborium."

I hissed, "That widow must've ratted me out." I tied my boots. "Do you have any weapons hidden?"

"Non. We stole ours back from the arsenal, but then we stashed them in the cave. Look, we'll get through this, Evie. As long as we're together, we can handle anything. Remember?" Once he'd yanked on his coat, he tossed me mine, then marched to the door. A glance back at me. "You ready?"

I nodded, and he opened up.

Five Ciborium guards stood outside with their guns pointed at his face.

36

Death

Hundreds of miles from the sphere

My stalwart mount ultimately buckled under the strain. I abandoned him and began to run east.

When I'd first regained my mind, the need to return and slaughter Paul had nearly consumed me, but I could never enter that sphere again.

Besides, time was now more of a threat than the Hanged Man.

I couldn't govern my emotions, chaotic thoughts overwhelming me.

My wife has been vulnerable out in the Ash. Starving. Nearly dying. Now in danger once more--because of Paul. He will die bloody. She and I are going to have a son--if she survives long enough.

I saw her demise. Will the Fool's vision come true before I can reach my beloved wife and child?

I ran into the night. I ran for their lives . . . .

37

The Empress

Surrounded by Ciborium guards, we entered the MSY Calices, heading for an audience with Lorraine herself.

The men hadn't taken their fingers off their triggers. They weren't treating us like suspected criminals--but like convicted ones.