Authors: Kate Douglas
Crystalfire (20 page)
Right now we’re in the attic of the old library building, but I don’t know what his plans are for tonight. It’s still daytime here. I think he wants Dax for some reason, so if you can talk to your man, make sure he doesn’t come anywhere close to Evergreen. Taron is here and I’m not sure, but I think Willow has a full-sized body. I trust them to try and save me if they can, but it’s all very confusing. I don’t know how to tell you to find me, Eddy. When the demon king is aware, I’m not. In fact, I sense him waking up now. When he’s alert, I can’t ...
His voice just disappeared, which meant the demon must be awake, but there was so much to assimilate and so many questions Eddy still had to ask.
Dad? Where are you?
She waited, but there was nothing. No sound. No sensation. Nothing at all. A vast nothing that could have filled a universe and gone on forever, or it might have been encompassed inside a single atom.
She waited, but there was nothing. No sound. No sensation. Nothing at all. A vast nothing that could have filled a universe and gone on forever, or it might have been encompassed inside a single atom.
How did one define the void?
She was really glad she couldn’t cry in the void—her emotions were muted, her thoughts limited to the words she could speak and somehow hear within her mind.
Because she knew, without a doubt, that if it were at all possible she’d be screaming right now. Screaming and sobbing and acting totally out of control.
How was her father coping? He’d sounded so much like himself, telling her he’d been possessed, like it was just one of those things. Poor Dad! She tried to imagine what it must be like, sharing your body with something as disgusting as the demon king.
If she had a body, she’d probably be throwing up right now. It made her sick to think of something so awful. Dad was such a good man. Kind and loving, smart and funny, and just flat out wonderful. It wasn’t fair.
But life wasn’t always fair, either. If life were fair, she’d be with Dax right now, fighting demons. Not stuck here in the middle of nothing, hoping like hell someone would figure out how to get her out of here—wherever here was.
What did Dad say about Willow? That she had a real woman’s body? But where was Bumper, and how did Willow get big? In fact, how did she get out of Bumper? At least Dad said Taron was with her. That was good. Taron was smart. He was strong and good. He’d know what to do, and if anyone could figure out how to help her father, Taron was one of the best to give it a shot.
She wanted her own body back! Her dad needed her. Dax was probably frantic by now. And what about Alton and Ginny, and Dawson and Selyn? Were they okay? They had to be because their swords had worked together to contact DemonSlayer. Knowing they were safe had become her anchor, her link to sanity. If they were safe, they’d do everything in their power to rescue her, to bring both her and DemonSlayer home.
Now though, there was nothing to do but wait. Wait and dream and hope the time would pass quickly until she was out of here. She floated within her consciousness, thankful to have retained at least that much of the woman she’d been before she’d been snatched into the void. She understood now what Dax had said about saving up memories for the time when he expected to be stuck here forever.
Thank goodness she had her memories. Beautiful memories of loving Dax, and all the dreams they’d made together. Strong memories of her father and the pride he’d felt for her. He was such a good dad, raising a daughter without a mother. That couldn’t have been easy, but he must have done a fantastic job, because she realized her mind was filled with wonderful memories. Memories of friendships savored, challenges met, fears overcome.
She would overcome this as well. Eddy Marks was not a quitter, not one to give in or give up. DemonSlayer had told her to hang on, and hang on she would. For however long it took.
What was time, after all, when one was lost in an endless void with a heart and mind filled with wonderful memories?
It sucked, that’s what. Sucked big time. Memories were terrific, but she wanted life. She wanted Dax, and she really wanted out of here.
Chapter 16
Alton knelt at the edge of the clear, cold creek running through the crystal cave and, using both hands, scooped a drink of water into his mouth. Light continued to ripple through the thousands of diamonds covering the walls and ceiling of the crystal cave, a hypnotic pattern driving a low, throbbing pulse, a subtle yet clear reminder of a beating heart.
Ginny, Dawson, and Selyn sat near the ruby altar, tired but alert and waiting. Dax paced a consistent pattern across the cavern floor, over and back. He’d crossed it over and over again as he walked off the nervous energy that obviously had to go somewhere. His impatience was a palpable force in the glimmering cavern, his frustration building with each step he took.
Alton felt it as if Dax’s pain were his own. He sat back on his heels and watched his friend. Dax had stripped off his shirt and tossed it over the ruby altar. His arms, chest, and back glistened with sweat and his powerful body was primed for action. The colorful tattoo of the phoenix covering his chest and belly appeared ready to fly right off his body. The demonslayer looked capable of killing with his bare hands.
Alton figured the poor guy must be ready to explode by now. Dax had inherited the body of a soldier, one who’d learned to trust in his own physical strength, a man used to wielding power and fighting for those he loved. Alton was convinced he’d acquired much of the original man’s personality traits as well.
This inactivity, the inability to do anything concrete to save Eddy while they waited for an unknown entity to feed them information she may or may not be able to produce, had to be killing him.
As Dax spun around to make another pass across the cavern, Alton’s eyes were drawn again to the phoenix tattoo. It was impossible to ignore—the damned thing looked alive. The symbol of rebirth had appeared on Dax’s chest the night the demon king, in the guise of a huge stone gargoyle come to life, had killed him. Alton would never forget his sense of loss, kneeling there beside Dax’s broken body, knowing that his dear friend had died fighting evil. They’d all given up hope of ever seeing him alive again—all except Eddy.
She’d been the only one to believe, and though she’d mourned his death, she’d been convinced Dax had truly earned his place in Paradise, and she’d not given him up. Her love and loyalty and steadfast resolve had paid off—she’d been the first to sense Dax’s return to life. Alton would never forget the sight of that tattoo when Eddy had opened Dax’s shirt, and instead of the cursed snake etched into his skin, they’d all seen the glowing colors of the phoenix, rising from the ashes of Dax’s death.
At first, Eddy thought the tattoo meant he’d achieved his goal of Paradise. Then Dax opened his eyes, and they’d all witnessed the miracle of his return from the dead.
Now, that same tattoo appeared to breathe in rhythm with the living pulse of the crystal cavern, independent of Dax’s harsh breaths. Slowly, watching the art on his friend’s body pulse with its own life, Alton rose to his feet. He walked across the cavern and stopped Dax in midstep.
He pressed his hand to Dax’s right shoulder, over the screaming beak on the phoenix. “Do you feel this thing, Dax? Does this tattoo of yours have independent life ... the same as that snake?”
Dax paused, frowning. “The phoenix?” He glanced at his chest, ran his fingers over the brilliantly inked bird. It rose in blues and greens and brilliant red out of a fiery cloud of orange and red flames that licked over his belly. The broad wings spread across his pectoral muscles and covered most of his chest, while the long, curling tail feathers disappeared beneath the waistband of his jeans. “I never feel it. Not the way I felt the snake. There’s no evil taint with this art, no sense of life, either. This is just there—it’s supposed to hold my demon powers, but those are part of me now. The phoenix is mostly a reminder, I think, of my new life.”
Shaking his head, not quite as certain of what he thought he’d seen, Alton pulled his hand away. “For a minute there, I thought it looked almost like it was breathing on its own. Must be the weird light in here, but ...” He shrugged. There was something he couldn’t quite put a finger on. “Why do I feel there might be more to this phoenix of yours than mere art?”
The cavern pulsed with brilliant light. “Because there must be, Lemurian. There must be more if we are to save Eddy Marks. The phoenix is the key.”
Dax went absolutely still. Then he glanced at the others, but he was still trailing his fingers over the tattoo. Taking a deep breath, he let it out and, in a voice that was almost frighteningly calm, asked, “What do you mean, my lady?”
“I have found Eddy Marks. She is safe within the void, but I do not know how to save her. Not yet.”
Dax’s fingers latched on to Alton’s forearm with crushing strength. “Explain. Please.”
“She is in the void, her consciousness paired with DemonSlayer’s, as is the way of sentient sword and warrior. But her body is gone, just as DemonSlayer’s physical sword is gone. The sword we can replicate, but for Eddy Marks ... without her physical shell, she cannot exist on this plane ... though she could always return as the sentience in a crystal sword. She is, after all, a warrior.”
Alton grabbed Dax as he felt his friend’s legs give out. He helped him sit on the hard floor of the cavern. Dax’s face had gone ashen, his expression that of a man who has lost everything.
Dax took a series of deep, harsh breaths. Impotent anger scored each word. “She is not dead. Not destined to exist as a blade. Eddy Marks is immortal, and she is mine.” He took a long, deep breath and held it a moment before letting it out, but his eyes sparkled with tears not yet shed.
He bowed his head. “Is there no way?” Then he lifted his head and stared at the shimmering crystals, but the look of hopelessness on his face hit Alton like a blow.
Light rippled across the cavern in a subtle dance. Mother Crystal’s voice was somehow warmer, more charged with feeling than before. “There is always hope, warrior. Have patience. I must consider this.”
The light within the cavern dimmed, though the sense of the entity remained powerful. Alton knelt beside Dax. “Have faith, my friend. Don’t give up. Remember this—Eddy never quit on you. Even as your body grew cold, she believed. She was the only one of us who knew you’d come back, and she was right.”
“But how ... ?” Dax shook his head, wrapped his arms around his legs, and rested his forehead on his raised knees. “How can she come back if there’s no body to come back to? It’s impossible.”
Alton sat on the ground beside him. Selyn, Ginny, and Dawson joined them. Selyn knelt behind Dax, wrapped her arms around his bowed shoulders and rested her cheek against the back of his head. She held him like that for a long moment before she spoke.
“I’ve learned that nothing is impossible, Dax. Nothing. As long as you believe there’s a chance, that chance exists. I knew Dawson was dead, but I couldn’t mourn him. I refused to believe he was gone. I loved him so much and I wanted him back. He was returned to me by the strength of his sword, but I believe my love for him helped, just as I believe Eddy will come back to you. Because your love is powerful.”
Ginny sat close beside Dax, looking absolutely ferocious as she glared at the shimmering crystal walls. “I agree. She’s immortal and she’s my best friend. Eddy wouldn’t dare ditch me now.” She leaned her head against his shoulder and smiled softly. “Besides, she loves you too much ever to leave you. Have faith, Dax.”
Dawson knelt in front of him. “Dax, you and I share something that no one else here can truly understand. What Selyn said. We’ve both died, and we’ve both been brought back. It was love that saved us, the power inherent in that love. You love Eddy. We all do, so there’s a lot of that power right here in this cave. Plus we’ve got sentient crystal on our side and Mother Crystal searching for an answer. Do as she says and have patience. We’ll all be here for you, and I promise you, we’ll get her back.”
Dax nodded. At least he was listening, though it was impossible to tell if he believed anything he heard. Light continued to pulse around them. Instead of a heartbeat, Alton was almost certain he heard the whispered voices of many hundreds of souls. Something was happening, something important, though he had no idea what it was.
He sat close beside Dax and offered what comfort he could. Selyn still hugged Dax from behind. Ginny sat close against his other side and Dawson had stood once again and was a stalwart force keeping watch over all of them.
There was no tighter knit group of warriors, no stronger love. Alton figured he’d have to do as he’d preached to Dax—have patience. And faith. There was no doubt in his mind—this was going to take a lot of faith.
This time, Taron was the one to break their kiss. Gently, and with heartbreaking regret. He had so much to atone for. Was it too late? He cupped Willow’s face in both his hands and stared into her clear blue eyes. She gazed steadily at him and she was so beautiful, so gods-be-damned pure, he knew that it was up to him to fix things. Now.
If he could.
There would be no going back. Not if they went forward this time. Not if they made love with their minds totally open to the truth of the emotions both of them felt.
Willow had been honest from the beginning. Only days old as a full-sized woman, she’d shown more heart and soul, more maturity and conscience than he, a Lemurian many thousands of years old, could ever understand. She’d been as curious as he was, but she’d been upfront about everything she felt, everything she wanted. He hadn’t. He’d been lying to Willow as much as he’d lied to himself.
Saying one thing, doing another. Bouncing back and forth like a child’s bouncy ball. Talk about cowardice! It wasn’t the fortune teller’s fault he’d been afraid to face the truth.
It was his own failure as a man of honor.
No more. He couldn’t deny his heart any longer without living a lie, and even though he’d been able to keep lying to himself, he couldn’t lie to Willow. Never again. She looked at him so directly, so honestly, that he felt like a complete ass.
Who the hell did he think he was fooling when he told himself they could spend any time together at all and not fall in love? Willow’d known from the beginning he was playing her false.
He’d long been known as a skilled debater. The problem was, he’d never realized the effect his well-honed skills would have on his own ability to make decisions.
But it appeared the time for inner debate had ended. Willow covered his hands with hers and lifted them away from her face. She pressed his hands to her thighs—palms down—which made it even harder for him to concentrate. Her thighs, after all, gave him a direct pathway to all those feminine secrets hidden at their apex, but Willow patted the backs of both his hands, tilted her head, and gave him one of
those
looks.
those
looks.
He figured that must mean she wanted him to leave his hands where she’d put them. Okay. He stared at their hands, hers still covering his. He could do this. Maybe. Except he made the mistake of raising his head again, looking up from hands to her—really looking, this time—and she was entirely naked, straddling him with all that glorious blond hair cascading over her shoulders and curling over the tips of her breasts. Naked and sleek and so beautiful she made him ache.
And the feel of her! Dear gods, the way she felt wherever they connected. He was almost preternaturally aware of the smooth skin of her inner thighs pressed against his flanks, of the way her downy-soft blond curls tickled the hard root of his penis, and her smooth bottom trapped the full length of his erection beneath her slight weight.
Sweat beaded his brow and he felt that inner beast stirring. Sensed the rising need that ignored his more civilized self, and gods-be-damned, but he had to admire the guy. At least he knew what he wanted, and didn’t hesitate to go after it.
Taron glanced again at their hands, but when he raised his eyes he looked directly at her perfect breasts, and that made him harder, needier than he’d been only moments ago, but Willow wanted something from him, and the beast had better watch his manners, at least until Taron figured out what Willow wanted.
She watched him still, and it was all he could do to return her steady gaze without twitching and moving, without adjusting the way their bodies met—so close, but not nearly close enough.
Even that fiery kiss they’d shared hadn’t stirred him as much as her steady, assessing stare.
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