Jericho nodded and reached out to open the door, but it wouldn’t open. Jericho tried harder, but it wouldn’t budge.
“Let’s try the back door.”
Cara shook her head. “It’s too late.” Where they were standing, they could see the window in the living room. It was completely dark outside.
They moved into the living room where Jericho started to move toward his gun cabinet, but Cara stopped him.
“It won’t do any good.”
“If someone comes, it will help a lot!” Sadly, Cara wrapped herself against Jericho, terrified for them both. Two mortals trying to battle an immortal. It was unwinnable, they weren’t going to survive.
“What she is trying to tell you is that your human weapons are useless against an immortal. Isn’t that right, Cara?” Jericho felt Cara stiffen in his arms before she turned to face the woman who had appeared in the room.
“Morgana?!” Cara stared at the beautiful woman in disbelief.
“You didn’t suspect me?” The woman preened at her achievement. “I worried that my spell on that stupid boy would point towards me, and certainly the magic I used in the corridor of life, but it is good to know that I covered my tracks so well.”
“You didn’t, I just didn’t think you were powerful enough. Merlin? Yes. But you? Not in a million years.”
Rage filled Morgana’s face. “You dare to insult me when I hold your lives in my hands?”
“It’s the truth. Pretend all you want. You may have enough power to bespell Billy, but not to enter the corridor.” Morgana’s lips tightened. She was about to argue further when it was as if she heard a voice in her head.
“I have been reminded that there is no time to argue with you, the eclipse will not last much longer. I must complete my task.” Raising her hands and speaking in a language that Jericho didn’t understand, he felt it become harder to breathe as if there were no oxygen in the room.
He tried to move forward to grab the woman, to stop whatever she was doing. As he moved forward, it was as if his body was weighted down, and his lungs were burning, starved for oxygen. He saw Cara fall to the floor, her hands at her throat.
Fury spurned him forward. When he reached her, he struck out to knock her unconscious; however she began to laugh and merely stepped away out of his reach. Jericho fell to his knees, realizing his strength was leaving. As the woman moved across the room out of his reach, he managed to crawl to Cara’s side, pulling her limp body to him. His vision became blurred and he felt, more than saw, the explosion that struck the room. The room seemed to be in the center of a blaze of light that he had never experienced before. Windows burst with glass, shattering throughout the cabin, and Jericho felt oxygen slowly entering his starved lungs.
“Cara.” He shook Cara, frightened more than he had ever been before. Her lids raised and relief filled him as she sat up in his tight grip.
“What happened?”
“I don’t know.” They both turned, hearing a woman’s scream.
A huge man stood facing Morgana. He glowed, making it hard to look at him, while the darkness outside made it appear as if the sun had materialized in the room with them.
“Thor!” Morgana’s triumphant expression turned to terror.
Cara and Jericho watched as Morgana raised her arms, preparing to disappear, but Thor would allow no escape. He sent a thunderbolt of electricity toward the woman and Morgana was instantly surrounded by the powerful light. Her skin and hair began to burn and smoke. Within seconds, the only thing left of the woman was a pile of ashes.
“Thor.” This time it was Cara who screamed the man’s name. She tore herself out of Jericho’s arms and ran across the room to fling herself into the light bulb’s arms. Jericho watched as Cara was gathered into the man’s arms and twirled in a circle. Jericho rose to his feet, feeling like an outsider, watching their tearful reunion. Jericho should be grateful to the light bulb for saving their lives, yet he was too busy wanting to beat him for holding Cara too close.
“How did you know Morgana was here?” Cara managed to finally get the words out when he finished hugging her in his tight grip.
“I didn’t. Your mother saw the eclipse coming and sent me, knowing that it would be too good an opportunity for your enemies to miss. As always, she was right.” Cara didn’t miss the derision that was in her brother’s voice.
Cara reached up to again hug Thor. “Thank you for saving us.”
Thor looked at Jericho, not missing the jealous look on his face. “You’re welcome, baby sister.” Thor glanced around the small room and returned his attention to Cara. “Are you ready to return home? Your mother and family await your arrival.” Cara was aware that he did not include himself in the family.
Cara smiled, anxious to see her family again, but turned to Jericho and walked back to his side.
“Tell my family that I am well, but that I cannot return.” Jericho looked down at Cara as if she had lost her mind.
“No, Cara. You can’t stay here. You have no hope of fighting your enemies as a human.” Jericho’s voice was ragged.
“I won’t leave you, Jericho.” Determination filled her eyes. “I can’t.” Jericho knew what he had to do to keep her safe.
“I want you to go.” Steel entered his voice. The remoteness she was so familiar with once again entering his face and eyes. “You will only endanger me by staying. Obviously, I am not able to protect you against your family’s enemy. I never gave you any hope that there was more to our relationship than sex.” He hardened himself against her hurt. “Don’t get us killed because you want to get laid.”
Jericho looked at Thor, seeing the anger in the listening God’s expression.
“Take her and go.” Jericho turned to leave the room, not waiting to hear Cara’s pleas.
He should have known better. He was halfway across the room when the first missile hit him in the back. He quickly turned, trying to protect himself, but it was already too late. The truck keys hit him in the face. He then saw her reaching for a bottle of water left from the poker game they had played earlier.
“That’s enough, Cara.” Jericho tried to make his voice threatening. Again not a smart move. The bottle hit him in the chest.
“She’s the gentle one in the family.” Thor’s amused voice diverted his attention long enough for Cara to grab his empty beer bottle.
Jericho realized that talking to the woman was useless, so he grabbed her before she could throw her new missile at him.
“You’re a jerk. Do you know that?”
“Yes, but I’m right and you know it, Cara. I can’t protect you here. It’s too dangerous for you.” He brushed a tear from her cheek and gave her a tender kiss on her trembling lips, trying to give her what she needed, though unable to do so. He couldn’t give her a heart he didn’t possess.
“I can’t leave you, Jericho. I love you. Please don’t ask me to leave.”
Jericho turned to Thor. “Take her.” He pried her hands from around his neck.
“I won’t go; do you hear me, Jericho? I won’t leave you.” Cara screamed at Jericho’s back. “Don’t you dare touch me, Thor.” Thor backed away from his sister, his hands raised in surrender. “I don’t care if every immortal comes to take me away, or if I’m never able to see my family again. I will never leave you!”
Jericho stopped and turned back to Cara. She was on her knees on the floor, tears running down her cheeks, her body trembling. Jericho’s past came to him as he stood there. For the first time in his life, he truly understood what being loved felt like. Cara loved him enough to sacrifice her life to stay with him; to give up her family and her way of life. To cry for him on her knees after all the rejection he had thrown at her. All for this, just to spend an unknown amount of time with him, a man she couldn’t be sure would ever be able to return her feelings.
Something inside of Jericho broke. He felt as if the ice surrounding his soul shattered with the warmth of her love. The man he had become, unable to exist in the light of
her love, suddenly was no more.
His feet slowly moved as he walked back to her. When he stood in front of her, he got down on his knees before her. His hand reached out to caress her face before raising it so that he could see her face.
“I love you,” Cara whispered, brokenly. Her beautiful smile made the words that she had said over and over for the past week finally sink into his mind. She truly loved him in the purist form of the word. A love given freely without expecting anything in return other than to stay with him. To not leave him behind when it would have been easier and safer. She had done what no one else had ever done, fight for him.
He took Cara into his arms, kissing her with every ounce of emotion he had denied himself. Her arms circled his waist and held him close. A throat clearing broke the tender moment and they continued to hold each other as they turned to Thor.
Smiling, Cara looked up at her brother. “You’ll be going home without me.” Happiness shone from her face. Thor stared at the happy couple. “Tell my mother I love her.”