Page 174 of The Immortal’s Mark

“What?” my mother shouts.

A jolt and whip my head towards her, but her furious stare is leveled on Des.

“How dare you!” she snarls, taking a step.

Alex grabs her shoulder and pulls her back.

But he can’t subdue the orbs of light gathering in her palms.

Des meets her glare with a blank expression. “I did what needed to be done to protect Darcie.”

“Bullshit!” She seethes. “You did what you wanted. What you always wanted.”

Lome shifts forward. “My brother has done everything he could to save Darcie from this life. It is not his fault Adir tried to force a bond with her.”

“He, what?” My mother tries to shrug off Alex’s hand, but his grip only tightens.

“Let me go, Alex,” she hisses.

“No. Not until you calm down.”

“How can I calm down?” She shrieks. “He has condemned my daughter. First to immortality, and now to a life relegated to sticking by his side.”

Des stiffens.

“Stop it.” I shift so I stand in front of Des. “This isn’t anyone’s fault but Adir’s.”

Her glare shifts to mine, her ire abating only a fraction. “Do you know what happened to his past soulmates, Darcie?”

“Of course, I do.”

“Then you know that being with him is a death sentence!” Her eyes widen, desperate, begging me to see reason.

I take a deep breath and repeat, “This isn’t Des’s fault.”

The Immortal has gone out of his way to keep his distance. More than he should have at times. At least, in my opinion.

“What about your plans, Darcie? School? Kids?” She shakes her head. “What about your dad?”

“Don’t.” I snap. “Don’t you dare talk about Dad.”

Des places a staying hand on my arm. Or perhaps it’s for reassurance. I don’t take my eyes off my mother to confirm either way.

She presses her lips together. “John is still my⁠—”

“Nothing. He is your nothing.” Heat licks at my palms. “You don’t get a right to claim him. Not after you left us.”

“I had to⁠—”

“I don’t care what you have to say!” I shout. “What’s done is done. I am Immortal. Des and I are bound. Now, how about we focus on the real problem, which is how we can stop Adir from fucking destroying the world!”

The words tear out of me from somewhere deep, and they don’t sound like me at all.

I don’t feel like myself.

Blood rushes to my head. I teeter back.

Des’s hands grip my biceps. “Darcie? What⁠—”