A Midsummer Night's Demon (7 page)

“I trust you.”

Lyn wrung her hands in her lap as fear gripped her stomach in a tight hold. She could do this, she could. She had to.

If only she didn’t have to wait alone. Someone next to you always made it easier to have courage. But Ky was a cop, and catching bad guys was what he did, so if he thought this the best way to proceed than she’d trust in the plan like she trusted in him.

She glanced at her watch and her heart leapt into her throat. Sometimes time passed too quickly. “You better go before he sees you.”

Ky shook his phone. “Don’t forget, greet him the minute you see him. Loudly.”

He turned to leave, heading for a copse of Banyan trees. Their thick trunks and roots twisted around each other forming a thick gray mass which would conceal him nicely.

“Good luck,” she called after him, watching him go. “Remember your promise to me. You’re taking me to the Litha Festival. No excuses.”

Ky gave her a smile over his shoulder then disappeared from her view in the thick foliage. She squinted in his direction.
Damn, I can’t see him at all.

Fear settled over her and her heart seemed to drop to her toes. The three-quarter moon hung in the sky, casting its unnerving light upon the trees to create ghoulish shadows over the area. A cool breeze blew over the land, bringing with it the musky smell of moss and earth. Tree branches and Spanish moss swayed, changing the shadows below. They seemed to come alive, like spectrally thin forms moving in the night. Daelyn shivered, more from the nightmarish images around her than the draft.

I wish he would just get here,
she thought to herself.

Chapter Six

The vampire materialized into the park, and sent his senses out through the thick forest to find his prey. She was the only being in the park. Waiting for him—for death. His mouth watered at the thought.

She’d eluded him for the past week. He’d gone to her home several times, taken some of her clothes hoping to track her by her unique scent, but neither yielded any results. He’d given up on finding her but then his luck changed, and he received her email.

He started down the boardwalk, his pace purposely slow. The vampire let his senses flow over the marshy land, in search of anything unusual—any sign of a trap. This had been a little
too
easy. Her contacting him, offering to meet. It was almost as if she had a death wish, wanted him to find her. And that made his instincts scream in warning.

His eyes darted from side to side, keeping constant watch. He flowed with a grace of his kind on silent feet, careful not to give his location away as he made his way over the wooden boards.

Acute senses noted every detail of his surroundings, he continued to move forward, stalking his prey. Animals stilled and crickets stopped their chirping. Sensing a predator more deadly than themselves, the bull gators ceased their gurgling mating roars at his approach. Birds flew from their nests, diving through the trees to escape the evil permeating the area.

A wicked grin came to the vampire’s face.

Fly away cowards. Fly from Raziel in fear.

He loved the power he wielded over life and death. He commanded death, giving it when the mood suited him. The helpless little one that waited now was no better than the other creatures in this place. Her species was beneath him. Vampires should have domain over the earth. His mate had agreed. Memories of her flooded his mind.

The two of them had hunted a remote Romanian village almost to extinction one summer. It had been glorious until the village priest—Victor had been his name—discovered their daylight hiding place. He woke one evening to find the man staking his wife.

“But I made sure he suffered, Adriana,” Raziel whispered to the heavens. “Oh how Victor suffered at my hands.” The memory of the fear in the priest’s swollen eyes and bloodied body brought a smile to his face.

The breeze brought her scent to him and his fangs pushed from his gums. He could smell her fear. The adrenaline it produced would mix with her blood to make an intoxicating combination. Her blood had been delicious the last time he’d sampled it. After a week in the hospital, her blood would be at a full volume. He would take his time, drain every last drop before leaving her body to the gators. He licked his lips in anticipation.

When he rounded the corner, his prey came into view. She sat under the statue, her legs bouncing with—he took a deep breath—apprehension.

The waiting ratcheted her anxiety. He could smell it. He watched her shiver, her skin pebbled with goose bumps. The sound of the nocturnal creatures stilled into a haunting silence. Her gaze flew to the night sky, tracking the birds as they darted between the tree branches to flee.

His eyes paused on her long, exposed neck, watching her pulse pound hard under her flesh for a moment before he pulled his gaze to her face.

“Hello, Lyn.” Raziel’s voice dripped with menace.

Her eyes darted from the sky to lock with his. She paused, staying motionless like the proverbial deer in the headlights. “Juan,” she yelled, knowing no other name by which to call him. “You are here.”

Good Lord. Did she think him deaf? He cocked his head to one side. His eyebrows narrowed in confusion over his steely eyes as he pushed a hand through his sandy blond hair. “You don’t have to yell, darling. I can hear quite well. And I have a confession to make. My name is not Juan. It’s Raziel.”

He watched her eyes dart over to a copse of Banyan trees, surprised she had not commented on his revelation regarding his name. Was she looking for something? Someone? He turned his head in the direction of her gaze and sent his senses flowing in that direction.

Tackled from behind, the force of the blow knocked Raziel from his feet. He threw his hands out in front of him to catch himself, hissing when the skin on his left wrist began to burn. A pair of handcuffs dangled from his arm, white wisps of smoke wafting around the metal.

****

Ky materialized and landed on top of the vampire, pinning him beneath the heavy weight of his body. The male squirmed beneath him to buck him off. He reached out to capture the vampire’s wrist and managed to get one cuff on the vampire. It would be enough to keep him from dematerializing, but it wouldn’t do much to stop him from being able to fight. If he couldn’t get his other wrist captured, this could get ugly fast. Ky reached for the
debauchee
’s other arm, but Lyn’s attacker bucked and twisted beneath him, leaving Ky no choice but to forestall his venture to capture his arm in order to keep the rogue on the ground.

Raziel tucked his arms under his body, pushed up, and rolled to dislodge Ky. The two men rolled in opposite directions, each coming to their feet in a fighting stance.

Ky circled his opponent, looking for an opportunity to strike. Movement from the corner of his eyes drew his attention.
She’s still here!
The realization twisted his gut. “Get out of here, Lyn.”

The warrior’s gaze darted to his mate. His momentary distraction presented his opponent with an opening. Raziel lunged, and came at Ky with his fists. The first punch landed squarely on Ky’s jaw, snapping his head to the side. The second punch landed on Ky’s neck to close his throat.

Ky staggered, his body gulping for air. He spun a thick thigh for a round house kick. It connected with the rogue’s stomach. Raziel wrapped an arm around his middle, and bent at the waist, heaving and gasping for breath. Ky threw an uppercut, connecting with the
debauchee
’s chin. The hit drove Raziel’s head backwards and his body had no choice but to follow. When the rogue straightened from the force of the punch, Ky kicked out. He struck the vampire hard; driving him down into the ground with such force his body tore up the soil in a fifteen-foot strip.

Chapter Seven

Lyn watched her attacker land with a sickening thud amidst the thick tangle of Banyan trunks. She heard the bark crack from the impact and watched Ky leap into the air, landing in front of the downed man. She gasped at the sight. Ky covered at least twenty feet in one mighty bound. No one could do that!

The two men fighting before her could not be human, but she didn’t think they were demon either. So, what were they? She didn’t have long to ponder the question.

They spun around the park like a tornado, moving so fast her eyes could not register their kicks and punches as their bodies flew apart, then back together. However, she heard every blow when it connected, the sounds of bones crunching and the slap of skin clearly audible to her ears with each blow. Lyn found it impossible to tell the two apart with both men wearing black, only hair color differentiated them.

The world exploded around them when their blurred masses neared one of the trees or the scrub palms giving evidence of the fierceness of their battle. Lyn watched the palm fronds fly through the air, their shredded branches fluttering as they floated to the ground in surreal contrast to the fast and furious movements of the fighting men.

Daelyn screamed, and jumped sideways to avoid a body flying toward her. Someone hit her foot when she leapt, tossing her off balance. She landed on her knees, the hard ground biting into her flesh. With pain radiating in both legs, Lyn pushed to her feet. Her injured knees threatened to give out. The world tilted. The pain and dizzying brawl made her unsteady. Unable to run, she staggered backward to sit once more on the base of the statue to watch the terrifying battle.

****

Ky slammed the vampire into the ground sending detritus flying into the air around them. He pulled a knife from the sheath attached to the waistband of his cargo pants. His breath sawed from his lungs as he dropped to his knees and aimed the blade over the vampire’s heart, looking for the opportunity of a clean, quick kill.

Raziel’s hand clamped around Ky’s wrist in a fierce grip, to keep the knife from finding purchase in his chest. The bones in his wrist flexed as their arms shook from the struggle. Raziel raised the arm with the cuffs, his hand landing on Ky’s forearm to pin the free cuff between his hand and Ky’s arm. Pain coursed through the agent’s body to widen his eyes, and the smell of his burnt flesh accosted his nose.

Raziel placed a bent leg between their bodies as he pulled Ky toward him. The
debauchee
pushed his leg out at the same instant he raised his arms and flipped Ky over his body. Raziel followed through, never releasing his grip so they came to rest with Raziel in the dominant position straddling Ky’s body. His hand pinned one arm above Ky’s head, the other, posed above Ky’s chest, held the blade turned downward. He leaned his body weight down to force the blade closer to Ky’s heart.

“Oh how the tables have turned,” The
debauchee
’s voice carried a menacing timbre.

The blade sank closer to Ky’s sternum. “This isn’t over yet.”

Ky gritted his teeth and summoned his strength to pull his arm free from Raziel’s hold. With a mighty thrust, he forced his hand into the chest of Lyn’s attacker. Ky’s fingers pushed through the muscle and sinew, seeking the beating organ within.

Raziel threw his head back, and roared in pain. He glared down at Ky’s arm protruding from his chest. Raziel’s eyes went wide, his face contorted in either shock or pain. Ky expected the vampire to recoil, try to escape, but instead of pulling away his opponent leaned his weigh forward, pushing the blade into Ky’s flesh.

The slide of the blade burned through his skin, and pain lanced his body. He saw the hilt of the dagger sticking from between his ribs. Although not a killing blow, the wound would weaken him. He needed to end this now. Luckily his opponent’s move had also brought his hand deeper within the chest, and he wrapped his fingers around Raziel’s beating heart.

Determination helped Ky to push aside the pain and focus. He gathered power to him, pulling it from nature’s energy around them. He fostered it, helping it to build until it threatened to consume them both. The massive pulse of power rolled from his body, the wave so strong it became visible as it rippled out from his center. He willed it toward the vampire, sending his form flying backwards though the air. The movement pulled Ky’s hand from the chest, the vampire’s heart held in his closed fist.

Knowing the fatal strike had killed Raziel, Ky’s thoughts turned to Lyn. He sat up, still holding the heart in his hand to find his mate. She seemed unharmed physically. However, he could not be so sure she’d survived mentally. He could only imagine what went through her mind when her gaze landed on her attacker. He followed her line of vision, watching Raziel’s blood soak his shirt and pool beneath his crumpled body.

A fresh wave of pain lanced through Ky’s body, pushing a groan from between his clenched teeth. His eyes locked with his heartmate’s. Wrapping his free hand around the hilt of his knife, he pulled the blade from his chest with a quick yank. The warrior’s face contorted with pain as the dagger slid back through his sinew and skin.

Daelyn’s gaze shifted from his gory blade to the bloody heart still in his hand. Her breath left her lungs in a huff. She grabbed her stomach, and doubled over to heave its contents.

Ky scowled, watching his mate lose her dinner. He wanted to comfort her, bely her fears. Try to explain what she’d witnessed.

After tossing the heart aside, he rolled onto his hands and knees. Pain tore through his body. His muscles protested each movement, but the warrior struck the pain down, forcing his body to obey, so he could press off the ground. Unable to rise to his full height due to his wounds, he stood hunched, taking heavy breaths from his exertion and the pain. With practiced ease, he stuffed the blade back into its sheath, unconcerned with the blood that flowed from the wound in his chest.

Lyn’s spine straightened as Ky made his way to her on staggering feet. Noting her gaze rested on his torso, his eyes dropped to the wound on his chest. His shirt hung in ruins, strips of the material dripping blood. The wound in his chest had already closed perceptibly.