Demonstorm: Heart of a Vampire #6 (17 page)

She shook her head, tugging the blanket up to cover her nakedness, as the dark reality of the vision remained like a storm cloud in her soul.

He tucked his hand beneath her chin, lifting her face until she met his gaze. “Tell me,” he whispered.

“It’s nothing. Just another vision…” She trailed off, then it struck her. Her eyes widened. “A vision. I still have my powers.” She smiled, and saw a matching grin on his face.

“All that worry for nothing, then?”

“I guess.” She nibbled her lip, wondering if her magic would still end up slipping away.

Did it matter, in the long run?

She’d seen her death multiple times. She could no longer pretend to deny the vision.

Whether making love with Sean had done something to her magic—or not, as the case seemed to be… so far—it didn’t really matter when she would soon be dead.

With that thought running through her mind, she dropped the blanket. Sean’s eyes lit as he stared at her.

Crawling into the haven of his warm embrace, she tilted her head back and kissed his jaw. “Love me again. I feel so…” She swallowed, whispered, “cold.”

He kissed her sweetly, lingering over her lips. “I’ll warm you. Always.”

She lost herself to this newly found pleasure, letting Sean sweep away the cloud on her soul. But even with his touch, with the love shining from his eyes, the sense of damnation only receded a small way.

* * *

The next morning, though the storm still raged, they packed up. Sean wanted nothing more than to stay here forever. Continue to explore Mayah. To love her. To keep her safe.

But their time limit was running out. The pendulum hanging over her brother’s head would soon drop.

Since her vision—which she still refused to talk to him about—something had darkened her eyes. It was as if she’d seen something coming that she was terrified of. He’d tried getting her to open up through the night, but she refused, telling him yet again that her visions of the future weren’t certain.

But this time, there was a waver of doubt in her voice, as if she no longer believed.

After a hearty breakfast, they loaded up and continued along the narrow winding trail leading up the mountain. Rain still fell, but at least the horrendous winds of the night before had slowed.

They passed the cliff face, and the drop off on the other side leading to the deep gorge where they’d thrown the bodies of the creatures who’d attacked them.

Who’d nearly killed Mayah.

His
, whispered his soul.

His to keep safe. And yet, he’d almost failed against the lesser demons.

The worry raced around and around his mind.

As they hiked, Sean realized there might only be one way to keep her safe during their confrontation with Brüs.

“A few days ago, you mentioned something about trying to combine my demon and earth magics,” he said softly.

She stopped walking, turned to glance at him quizzically. Rain drenched her braids, her face shone from the wetness.

“Show me,” he finally stated.

“Are you sure?” She drew her lower lip between her teeth. “Like I said, it’s dangerous. If you’re not able to control it, such power could send you over the edge. You’d become crazed with the bloodlust most half-breeds fall into.”

He nodded sharply. His life or hers? He would always choose to save her first.

If something happened to her, it would damage him just the same. He at least had to try whatever he could.

She drew closer, raising her hand to his cheek. Faltering, she began to pull back.

Sean grasped her hand and brought it to his face, kissed her palm.

“I worry,” she whispered. “Maybe it’s not worth it. You could lose your soul to this thing.”

He rubbed his cheek over her soft hand. “We’re about to go up against a monster engorged with evil. One who’s undefeated. If this helps us win, then it’s worth it.”

Her eyes shone with fear, lips twisted in a grimace. Something he couldn’t define flashed through her gaze and she glanced back the way they’d come, over the forest valley to the horizon in the far distance.

“Maybe…” She stopped, stared at him once more. “Maybe you should go back. This is my brother, my fight.”

He grabbed her, holding her tight, biting his tongue at the flash of anger rushing through him. “You are mine. Therefore this is my fight as well.” Pulling back, he stared into her eyes. “Don’t ever forget that.”

She smiled, though it was wobbly. “Am I yours?”

“Always.”

She buried her face against his chest and he felt her breath hitch as if she was on the verge of tears. “Then we’ll do this together.” Some strange tone in her voice let him know she still hid things, but at the moment, he didn’t care.

All he needed was to figure out a way to beat this Abatu demon and get Mayah to safety. Later, he would have the time to understand the rest.

As they continued their hike, she told him about the myths and legends of the few half-breeds who had supposedly been able to combine their magic. She didn’t remind him, yet again, that in every tale, those who tried such a thing eventually wound up crazed.

The storm raged around them, the wind picking up speed. They climbed higher, the rain turning to sleet, then a heavy, blinding snow.

“You’ve been able to tap into your demon side,” she said, “But from what I know of the stories, combining your magics completely is different. You have to release control, let them do their own thing.”

“That doesn’t make sense. Magic is part of the person. It’s not like it has its own consciousness.”

“You sure?” she asked, flashing him a grin.

Compared to her knowledge of magic, he was a babe in the woods. No, he wasn’t sure. But it was a hard concept to try to wrap his mind around.

When he used magic, he directed it where he wanted it to go, what he wanted it to do.

When he’d healed Mayah, his magic had begun to combine. It had done what he wanted, true, but he hadn’t been in full control. According to her, it hadn’t been a true melding. And as soon as she was better, he’d locked his demon side up tight once again.

The power he’d felt when healing her had been controlling him, not the other way around.

And it scared the living hells out of him.

If it happened again…

If he let loose of that control, there was no telling what would happen. For all he knew, it would explode, taking everyone down, including her.

“And then what?” he asked, not voicing his fears.

“And then no one knows.” She continued to climb, matching his pace. “The books never said anything about what came next, unless it was bloodlust.”

“Comforting,” he stated.

She glanced at him. “That’s why the risk isn’t worth it.”

But as he watched her, determination filled him. For her, he was willing to take any risk needed.

That night, the storm picked up again, sending snow so thick it was hard to move forward.

“At least there’s no more rain mixed in,” Mayah said with a sigh.

Silently, he agreed. They continued on a few more miles before he called a halt. Walking was becoming nearly impossible. There was no point trying to fight through it without some rest.

Mayah agreed, though she clearly wasn’t happy about stopping when they were so close.

After pitching the tent and securing it to a couple stunted trees, he crawled inside. Mayah glanced at him, her cheeks tinged pink with a blush.

On the floor lay their sleeping bags, but this time, they’d been combined into one. A slow smile spread over his face. He started dinner, then drew her into his arms. They ate cuddled together, before slipping beneath the warm blankets, holding each other.

She trembled against him, worrying over her brother, the future.

“It will all be over soon,” he said, trying to comfort her.

Wordlessly, she turned in his embrace, pressing closer as she kissed him, letting him know now wasn’t the time for talking.

He let her take the lead, happily following.

Chapter Seventeen

T
he next afternoon, they crouched at the last line of trees crowning the flat, rocky mountain top. The huge fortress loomed a few miles away.

The sky above them was dark with the storm, though at the moment it wasn’t snowing. But as if some invisible, magical barrier resided in the sky, the clouds spread into a wide open circle, not daring to encroach above the castle.

Sean clasped Mayah’s hand as they studied the terrain. It had been cleared of trees, recently by the look of the dark angry gashes in the earth. Not even a boulder remained for them to hide behind.

The fortress was a hive of activity. Guards circled everywhere. Unlike the castle she’d been prisoner in, this place had an air of high alert. Brüs and his men were ready for an attack.

Shadows lingered in Mayah’s eyes, and Sean felt weariness down to his bones. They hadn’t recovered from the last fight, or the energy used to heal. Brüs was ready for them, but were they ready to face him?

Sean knew there was no chance of slipping in, rescuing Mayah’s brother and getting out without being caught.

Not this time.

“We’ll wait until it’s dark. That will be our best chance to get across without being seen,” he said.

Mayah nodded, though she continued to gaze longingly at the fortress. Her brother was so near, and yet, still far. Many obstacles remained for them to get past.

She had to be feeling the pull, needing to get to Cyrus and make sure he was safe. Alive.

Just as Sean felt the pull to tie her up and take her home, where she’d be safe, then come back by himself. But he knew very well that doing such a thing would be, to her, unforgivable.

Damned either way, he supposed.

His heart pounded as he thought about the most recent attack. This time, they’d be facing the undefeated Abatu demon. Sean didn’t have a clue how he was going to get them out of this one.

An hour passed, the sky darkening.

After another hour, the landscape grew into a long, stretching shadow, full of grays and blacks.

Sean led Mayah to the edge of the forest once more. About a hundred yards from the fortress, bonfires had been lit, creating an unbroken ring of light.

Mayah watched the hive of activity. “We might be able to get to the fires, but never past them without being seen.”

He shrugged. “We have nearly two miles to cover before worrying about that.”

She nodded and took a step out into the open.

Suddenly, on the other side of the castle, the sky lit with a stream of colors. Blues, greens, oranges.

Mayah gasped, staring.

“The Borealis,” Sean commented.

“It’s beautiful. Magical.”

“Aye,” he replied.

As quickly as it brightened the night, it disappeared.

They’d have to be cautious. If the Borealis lit up at the wrong time, they’d stand out like beacons in this flat place. They began to creep from shadow to shadow, staying near the edge of the plateau where it was darkest, yet keeping a safe distance between them and the sheer drop off.

They were about a mile across when light flickered just ahead.

Without warning, war cries rang out. The flicker became a spark of fire, lighting something on the ground. With a whoosh, a large circle of flames sprung up around them.

Trapping them inside.

Mayah already wore her powerful gloves. Now Sean drew his katanas. He held still, letting power coil inside him.

From the darkness, demons materialized. They’d been hiding. Readying this trap.

“Brüs,” Mayah hissed, staring at the tallest demon.

At least eight feet tall, with a girth to match any bodybuilder, the demon looked human enough but for the gray tinge to his skin.

When he smiled, there was nothing but hungry malice in the sight. “’Bout time you came home to me, Mayah.”

She spat on the ground, then lifted her chin. “I am free of your chains.”

Brüs chuckled, the sound grating on Sean’s nerves. He watched the other demons as they spread out, neatly containing them in the circle. None attacked. Yet.

Brüs yanked on a dark gray chain. From behind him, a dirty, ragged man stumbled to Brüs’s side, falling to his knees.

* * *

“Cyrus!” Mayah called, starting forward.

Sean grabbed her arm. “No. Not yet.”

She bit her lower lip, but nodded imperceptibly.

“Tell you what,” Brüs said, rubbing his chin. “You come dociley and put your collar back on, and I’ll let that troublesome lad who stole you leave without punishment.” The demon’s eyes flickered with the lie.

Mayah stepped forward, holding herself tall. “Let my brother go, and we will leave without taking your head.”

Brüs stared as if disbelieving someone would even think they could fight him and win. Then he laughed heartily. “Little one, you know there isn’t anyone able to threaten my standing. You won’t be the first.” He jerked the chain, forcing Mayah’s brother to his feet, then rubbed the man’s neck.