Page 166 of The Immortal’s Mark

My body and soul are of one mind, and that mind refuses to put distance between me and the formidable Immortal I’ve longed to touch and hold for longer than I care to admit. The same Immortal who has rejected me on more than one occasion.

But he’s not rejecting me now.

“I’m so sorry, Darcie,” he mutters into my neck.

“For what?”

His lips brush my skin, sending a shiver down my spine. “Everything.”

I let the word hang overhead, but I don’t dwell on it. I don’t make assumptions.

Now is the time for questions, and I believe Des will give me the answers.

“What’s happened to me?” I draw back just enough to meet his gaze.

His green irises swirl. “Your mortality…it’s…”

“Changed,” I finish for him, my voice barely above a whisper.

I assumed as much the moment I stepped on the carpet.

I’m no longer mortal. The Immortal’s Curse has taken hold.

His lips press together. He gives a stiff nod. “And⁠—”

“Bella?” I cut him off, swallowing the emotion threatening to clog my throat. “Is she really…”

“Yes.” Pure anguish floods his features. “Adir killed her.”

I grip his shirt tight. “But she’s Immortal. Shouldn’t she have survived?”

“Originals are powerful.” A lone tear rolls down his cheek. “More powerful than we should be.”

Meaning, Adir has the power to kill another Immortal.

My heart aches.

I reach up and wipe the moisture away. “How’s Thane?”

“Destructive.” He sighs and closes his eyes, leaning into the hand I leave hovering by his face. “Lome and Eshe are working to keep him contained as he works through his grief.”

I can’t imagine.

“This…doesn’t feel real.”

His eyes open. “I know.”

I lower my arm and move to step back. Des’s arms tense for a moment, but then he drops them to his side and releases me.

I resist the urge to step back into his hold. “What happened after I fainted? Where’s Adir?”

His jaw tenses. “He escaped.”

My stomach drops. “What? How?”

“Faine,” Des hisses the Original’s name. “She created a rip while my brothers and I were distracted. Adir stepped through while I was trying to help you.”

Damnit.