Free Forever and Beyond by Jayde Scott

more. We’re not in Star Trek .”
    Aidan’s jaw set. And that’s when I remembered my first date with him. He was an immortal bounty hunter; I was a mortal unaware of the existence of his world so, naturally, I had been nervous, even scared because I somehow felt the danger around him. And although I was both physically and spiritually drawn to him, I had no intention to hook up with the boss. So what exactly happened to my resolution? I tried my best to resist his good looks, but then he did something to me. I’m pretty sure he invaded my mind to soothe me, sending me into a deep sleep, from which I only awoke when his lips pressed against mine in the most tender kiss I ever had. I shuddered at the thought, and it wasn’t just with pleasure.
    “Can a vampire influence your mind?” I asked, staring at Aidan directly in the hope he’d get the hint. He didn’t and I made a mental note to ask him when we were alone in our bedroom. That is, if Julie had a sense of privacy.
    “Not any vampire. Only the first or second generation after a master,” Aidan said.
    I did the math inside my head. “You’re a second generation. Rebecca was a first since she turned you. And she was turned by—”
    “Her master, Flavius,” Aidan said.
    “He’s dead,” Kieran whispered. “And Rebecca’s a ghost.”
    Aidan hesitated, considering his words. “But they will rise. Once all four shards merge, the mirror can turn anyone into flesh and blood. That’s what the prophecy’s all about. Three races fighting for supremacy, of which the vampires could be the winners. And by vampires I mean Flavius, Rebecca, and their army. They’re about the last people you want to win a war.” Aidan shut his eyes as he spoke, his memory traveling back. Because of our bond, pictures flooded my mind: pictures of pain and tears, of death and destruction washing over the world. I shook my head to get rid of the disturbing images but only managed to intensify them, until Aidan opened his eyes again. There was urgency in them. Whatever Rebecca’s plans were, recent events had shown that she had come a lot closer to her goals when she found fragments of the mirror that could entrap souls and release those trapped. Aidan had one shard of the mirror, Rebecca the other three. I had no doubt she’d attack us to get her hands on the last fragment. And then her master would return to claim the world.
    “That reminds me, did you get a meeting with the Council?” I asked Aidan.
    He shook his head. “Blake’s trying but it’s as though they’re avoiding us.” He spat his former friend’s name like it was poison.
      I sighed. “I know you’re still mad at him, but can you please try to put it all aside, at least until this war’s won?”
    He squirmed in his seat, hesitating, which made me groan. Aidan was as stubborn as a mule. Cass claimed it was a trait Scottish men are known for but, usually, he was also known for being the sensible one. That he wouldn’t budge in this particular case made no sense.
    “What’s wrong?” I brushed his hair out of his eyes, ignoring Kieran’s warning look.
    Aidan turned to face me but didn’t answer. His grim expression reflected the way he felt inside: torn, unsure what to do. I tuned into our bond and let my mind reach out to his, fighting layer of layer of emotional fog and secrecy, when the telltale barrier hit me with full force. He wasn’t ready to share whatever bothered him.
    “You’re keeping secrets again,” I said, pushing him away angrily.
    “He’s not the one keeping secrets,” Kieran whispered. “It’s Blake. So don’t be angry at him.”
    I narrowed my gaze. “What secrets?”
    “Secrets that can cost him his life,” Kieran said.
    “I don’t understand. Whose life?” I asked, confused.
    “Blake’s,” Kieran elucidated.
    My thoughts began to race, putting two and two together. In my twisted reasoning, all I understood was that my boyfriend wanted to kill Blake for keeping