“I told your adoptive parents that if you ever returned, your fate would be sealed. It’s where I got the inspiration of the dark-haired traveler who would lead us to salvation.” A dry chuckle escaped her. “I never imagined it would come to be.”
“I don’t understand,” Alex whispered.
“It’s simple, really. The sorcerers used some of Ulric’s blood to forge the energy to fuel the barriers, then they used their own to close it.” She dragged Ulric by his arm, forcing him to move on unsteady feet. “I knew we would never be completely safe until I used the blood of my own son, and that of the sorcerers’ son to seal it. It’s the only way.” She lowered her eyes. “I’m sorry.”
“You’re not taking Damon with you,” Levi said.
Alex looked at Damon. She couldn’t believe this insane woman was willing to kill both men in order to succeed in this insanity. Damon met her eyes with a determined look and offered her a small smile. When she looked away, she found Ulric staring at her. Even in human form, his eyes glowed like an animal trapped in the dark.
He looked so sad, but she couldn’t bring herself to show any empathy toward him. None of the crazy stuff had been his doing. Still, she couldn’t help but blame him.
Ulric broke eye contact and turned to peer into the hole in the ground. “Okay, I’ll go willingly.” His toes skimmed the edge of the light. He turned to look at Alex again, and mouthed, “I really do love you, Alex. I’m sorry you couldn’t love me back.”
She took a step, ready to tell him things weren’t that simple. There may never have been love between them, but the desire which brought them together in the first place hadbeen real.
“That’s a good boy, “Aleena said proudly. “You’ve finally given me something to be proud about.”
Ulric didn’t turn to face her when he said, “Alex, find the bracelet I gave you. It’s out in the jungle, somewhere near your ship. Plug it into your computer and you’ll see just how much you mean to me.”
Alex didn’t know what he meant, but she didn’t get a chance to dwell on it.
Ulric wrapped an arm tightly around Aleena’s waist. “I’m ready.”
“What are you doing?” The Priestess squirmed in his grip, her broken hand caught between them.
“You want to save your people so badly, then youcan do it with me.”
“No, let me go. Damon, stop him!”
Damon didn’t do or say anything.
Ulric took a step forward and fell into the abyss, with Aleena still in his arms.
The light engulfed and sucked them down, leaving a mist of blood in its wake.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Even when Ulric felt the flesh being torn from his body one layer at a time, he kept a tight hold of the woman who claimed to be his mother. Everything she’d said to him was true-his parents hadtold him he wasn’t their biological son, and they warned him about the bad things that would happen to him if he ever left Anteris.
He’d listened to them for most of his life, until falling in love had caused his life to unwind and brought him to the place where it all began.
Everything he’d achieved had been for nothing.
So, taking the person responsible for giving birth to him seemed just. This woman-Aleena-had evil plans, and he refused to let her follow through with them. He wouldn’t let her kill Alex, which she obviously had every intention of doing. By taking Aleena into the abyss, he’d also managed to help others. At least he could move onto the next phase knowing he’d done some good in a fucked up situation.
I hope you don’t forget me, Alex. I’m sure I’ll never forget you.
He also hoped his shapeshifting condition would never affect her.
Even without a physical shape, the light of the moon still managed to caress him. For the first time since feeling the satellite’s call, he opened up his awareness to it, allowing it to grab a complete hold of his very essence.
I don’t care what I become, now. Take me.
Instead of continuing down into the mouth of the abyss with Aleena, he felt his spirit rise as if it were being pulled by the moon.
Now, he would finally become one with someone. The moon loved him the way Alex couldn’t.
Before he ceased to exist completely, Ulric couldn’t help but mentally smile, trying to imagine what Alex would do when she saw what he’d left for her. Of course, the credits he’d uploaded onto the bracelet would be nothing compared to the inheritance coming her way.
Goodbye, Alex. It was good while it lasted.
Chapter Twenty-Six
The sun beat against Alex’s back. In spite of the many trees, the sun still managed to find them as they trudged through the uneven terrain of the jungle. Is this what the moon did to Ulric?Had it chased him around until it caressed the fur out of him, and he had no choice but to surrender? The thought roused a shiver, because in a sense, that’s what he’d tried to do to her.
Ulric-the man she thought she knew-had turned out to be a complete stranger. Not even entirely a man, either. She found it amazing that even after spending so much time in bed with him, she still hadn’t known a damn thing about him. She’d only skimmed the surface of Ulric Cale and hadn’t thought to dig deeper. Even after all of their exclusive intimacy, she’d never cared enough about him to bother. Why hadn’t she realized this before?
I just hope his being half-animal doesn’t affect me.She’d have to check with her physician and ensure her microchip covered her against every transmittable disease.
“Are you all right?” Damon casually rubbed small circles on the back of her hand.
As good as it felt, she pulled it away. “I thought we spoke about this.”
“We’re alone,” he whispered.
He might be technically correct, but Levi and Milo were just up ahead. They’d left the fortress as soon as day broke, lugging a huge cart with parts and tools to fix her ship. They’d looked so professional and efficient. She couldn’t remember seeing either of the boys so relaxed before.
Less than twenty minutes ago, Levi contacted them to let them know they were almost finished. Code for: your ship is almost ready to leave this horrible planet.
She turned to glance at Damon. His dark hair glowed in the sun, the dreadlocks hardly swaying as they continued forward between the trees and vines in their way. Although he smiled back when he caught her eye, she could feel the tension inside him. The blaster wound might have completely healed, but his world had been turned upside down. How much would knowing the truth about his parents and about Aleena change him?