Evans, Gabrielle - Hell's Tempest [Fatefully Yours 4] (Siren Publishing LoveXtreme Forever ManLove) (12 page)

Echo rolled his eyes and huffed. “Of course I’m awake. Why are you looking at me like that?”

The door eased opened, and Eyce stepped into the room, freezing almost immediately when his eyes landed on Echo. He closed his eyes tightly and clenched the doorknob in a white-knuckled grip. “Thank you,” he whispered before opening his eyes and hurrying over to crawl up beside Echo and Vapre. “You’re awake.”

Echo batted their hands away. “Why does everyone keep saying that? Yes, I went to sleep, I had a nice nap, and now I’m awake.”

Vapre looked at Echo, then at Eyce, then back to Echo once more. “Baby, you’ve been out cold for five days.”

“You kept mumbling in your sleep, or we would have thought you were dead,” Eyce added quietly. “That’s the second time you’ve done this to us.”

“Five days.” Echo considered this for a long time before he shrugged nonchalantly. “I guess that would explain why I need to piss like a freakin’ racehorse.” He maneuvered to the edge of the mattress and let his feet dangle over the side as he peered out the window. “Hey, it snowed!”

Vapre met Eyce’s gaze, and they stared at each other in alarm. Their mate was taking this much too casually. Echo pushed up from the bed and walked across the room to the door. His strides were steady and purposeful, not the weak and shaky movements of someone who’d been bedridden for nearly a week. “Be right back,” he called over his shoulder as he slipped out the door, and even his voice sounded healthy and vibrant—not croaky and unused.

“What the hell just happened?”

Eyce shook his head thoughtfully. “I get so tired of saying this, but I really don’t know.” They sat in silence after that, each contemplating their own thoughts, until Echo flounced back into the room, his blond hair wet and clinging to his nude body.

“I’m starving,” he announced. “What’s on the menu?”

“Echo?” Vapre asked uncertainly. “Are you okay?”

“Sure. I had a quick shower, and I feel great.” He stretched his thin arms over his head and arched his back. “A little stiff, and a lot hungry, but that’s about it.”

“I’m going to get Hex,” Eyce muttered and jumped up from the bed.

“Bring Syx,” Vapre suggested. Something was definitely not right with their little mate, and hopefully Syx would be able to give them insight.

“Right.” Eyce paused beside Echo. He appeared hesitant, but leaned forward and kissed Echo’s forehead. He jerked his head away and gasped. “You’re cold as ice.”

Echo giggled, and not very pleasantly. “Hurry along.” He dismissed Eyce with a flick of his wrist.

Once the warrior had left the room, Vapre stood as well and moved cautiously toward his lover. Echo’s head snapped toward him in an unnaturally jerky movement. Something flashed inside his eyes, a faint, flickering glow, then disappeared just as quickly. His lips parted slowly, stretching into a wide, menacing smile. “Hello, lover,” he purred.

That light flashed in his eyes again, and Vapre tilted his head to the side. “Echo, are you in there?” There was no doubt in his mind that this was not his mate. Perhaps in body, but someone or something else controlled him.

The smile slid off of Echo’s face, replaced by a look of sheer terror. “Vapre?” he whispered. “What’s happening to me?”

Rushing forward, Vapre reached Echo in two long strides and wound his arms around him tightly. “Hex is coming, baby. We’re going to help you.”

Echo clung to him, sagging into his arms, and shuddered. “The Oracle,” he panted. “She said we have to defeat the evil. She told me to shine a light.” He gasped for breath, his teeth chattering as he tried to speak.

Then he stilled completely, and his breathing became normal once more. Vapre took a deliberate step in retreat, his chest constricting at the devious look on his angel’s face. And that’s exactly what Echo was to him—his salvation, his angel, his light. Now, he could scarcely find a trace of that man in the cold, hard lines of Echo’s face.

“Aww,” Echo leered. “You don’t look happy to see me.” Another flash of his eyes.

“Be the light,”
a sweet, feminine voice whispered into Vapre’s mind.
“Find your star and lift it from the darkness.”

For once, Vapre didn’t question the Oracle’s wisdom or even stop to decipher the meaning. Reaching out with both hands, he wound his fingers in Echo’s hair and jerked his mate to him, crushing their mouths together and licking inside. He kissed Echo with everything he had, pouring every ounce of love, trust, need, and hunger into the mating of their lips.

Echo’s tense muscles began to relax. Then all at once, he threw himself into the kiss, coiling around Vapre like a second skin. His hands were everywhere in a hurry, pulling at Vapre’s clothes, his hair, biting, scratching, and hissing.

Ignoring the sting from the Echo’s fingernails across his rib cage, Vapre crushed his lover closer and kissed him harder, deeper, more desperately. Echo bit his lip, this teeth sinking into the tender flesh until blood spilled into his mouth. He moaned seductively, licking and sucking at the wound.

Vapre jerked away, still holding Echo’s hair tightly, and stared into his eyes. The brilliant sapphire blue was seeping away, replaced by a deep, dark midnight. “Echo, listen to me,” he growled vehemently. “I know you’re in there. Are you really going to let him win?” Vapre used “him” loosely since he honestly didn’t know what had taken over his mate.

“Vapre? Help me,” Echo pleaded. He began trembling again, and tears overflowed, slipping down his soft, pink cheeks. Without warning, he clapped his hands over his ears and crumpled to the ground, a bloodcurdling scream pouring from his swollen lips. “Shut up! Shut up!” he screeched.

Falling to his knees in front of his lover, Vapre took Echo’s hands and pried them away from his head. “Look at me,” he demanded. “Look right into my eyes.” When Echo took too long to comply, Vapre released his hold on the man’s wrists and cradled his face, forcing him to lift his head. “You can do this. You’re stronger than you think.”

The life ebbed from Echo’s gaze, his skin turned cold and clammy, and he became eerily motionless. “Would you like to see how strong I am?” His normally mellow voice flowed thick and gravelly. His fingertips skimmed down his bare chest enticingly. “Do you want me, lover?”

Pushing to his feet without a word, Vapre stalked about the bedroom, beating his fist against his thigh in frustration. Just when he thought he’d lose his mind, the door banged open, and all six of his lovers filed into the room. Vapre dropped down on the foot of the bed and stared up at them hopelessly. “I can’t help him,” he whispered.

Fiero and Eyce came to sit on either side of him, wrapping their arms around him and lending their strength. “We’ll do whatever it takes,” Fiero answered with conviction. “We’ll get him back.”

Syx and Hex crouched down beside Echo, each touching him and mumbling words that Vapre couldn’t hear. They’d look up occasionally, their eyes meeting for a brief moment, then return their attention to Echo. Their little mate preened and purred from all the attention, making lewd advances at every opportunity.

Hex stood first, scrubbing both hands over his face. “This is not something I can heal.”

Syx remained on the floor in front of Echo, holding his delicate face in both hands. “Help me,” he whispered. “Where am I? I hear you, but I can’t find you.” He was repeating the information he heard inside Echo’s head. “It’s so dark here.”

“What does it look like? Can you see a picture?” Eyce asked practically.

“It’s like Mac described—very dark with a swirling red haze. I can’t hear what’s causing it. That part is cut off from me.” Syx leaned closer until his nose was almost touching Echo’s. “I have to concentrate to hear Echo, and still, I only get bits and pieces at random intervals.”

“But he is in there, right?” Myst slid down to the floor and crawled over to sit beside Syx. “We can get him back, right?”

Onyx just looked lost. He stood beside the open doorway, arms hanging limply at his sides, and stared straight ahead.

“Second chances are rare,”
the Oracle whispered to Vapre.
“Be the light in the tempest.”

Sucking in a deep breath, Vapre squeezed his eyes closed and tried to calm his racing heart. This was one of those unfortunate times when he understood exactly what the Oracle wanted from him, but that didn’t make it any less difficult. It would probably be the hardest thing he’d ever done.

Slipping off the mattress, Vapre walked on unsteady legs until he stood just in front of his lovers. Syx and Myst made way for him, watching him with interest as he slowly lowered himself to the floor and cupped Echo’s face in both palms.

He wished he didn’t have to have an audience for what he was about to do, but it couldn’t be helped. His pride and insecurities could go to hell if this is what it took to save his mate. He stroked Echo’s cheek with the pad of his thumb and tried to smile. The attempt was weak and fake, but he did manage to part his lips in a shaky imitation.

“Echo, you’re putting us all in danger. If you can’t fight this, you’ll have to leave.” The words tasted sour on his tongue, but he needed to be sure his angel could hear him. Ignoring the gasps and growls of the other men in the room, Vapre continued. “Do you want to leave us?”

“You fight dirty,” Echo murmured, and he began to shudder violently as some of the sapphire color returned to his eyes.

“There you are.” Vapre pulled Echo to him, kissing his lips slow and tender. “Come back to me, baby,” he breathed. “I love you, Echo. Come back to us.”

Echo cried out, his body going rigid though he continued to shake as he fell forward into Vapre’s arms. Vapre held the smaller man to his chest, running his fingers through Echo’s damp hair and nuzzling the top of his head with his cheek. “I love you,” he whispered repeatedly, chanting the words like a magical spell.

Echo continued to convulse as he screamed and wailed until his voice sounded raw and abused.

The demons moved as a unit, surrounding Vapre and Echo, wrapping their strong arms around them and whispering words of, maybe not love, but caring and devotion. If this had been a movie, Vapre guessed this is where they’d cue the dramatic music and dim the lights. Tension buzzed around them, filling the air with an electrical charge and building up to something explosive.

So when Echo finally quieted and sagged limp and unconscious against Vapre, he found it to be a little anti-climactic. “Is it over?” he asked uncertainly.

Syx pulled Vapre around to face him and rested their foreheads together. “He’s sleeping, dreaming about pumpkin pie of all things.” Syx chuckled at this. “Echo is broadcasting louder than usual, especially since he’s asleep, but there’s no one else in his head with him.”

Before Vapre could express his relief, Myst disentangled himself from the group, jumped to his feet, and sprinted for the door.

“Where the hell are you going?” Hex called after him.

Myst popped his head back into the room and grinned from ear to ear. “To make a pumpkin pie.”

* * * *

Echo licked the last of the gooey goodness from his fork and set it on his plate. “That was amazing. I was having a dream about pumpkin pie.”

“We know.” Syx smiled so huge, Echo thought the demon’s face would split in two. He snatched the plate out of Echo’s hand and set it on the nightstand beside the bed. “How are you feeling?” he asked seriously.

“Tired,” Echo answered honestly. “But I think that’s a good thing, right? I feel weak and shaky, a little cold, and I have a headache, but other than that, I feel like myself.”

All of his men huddled around him on the bed, staring at him with a mix of relief and worry. “You scared the hell out of me,” Fiero whispered into Echo’s ear. “Don’t do it again.”

Echo rolled his eyes and bumped Fiero with his shoulder. It wasn’t like he’d meant to be possessed. He wasn’t sure if that’s exactly what had happened, but it seemed close enough. He didn’t say anything, though. He knew Fiero wasn’t really chastising him. The man had been afraid, and big, macho demons did not scare easily.

“Do you think it will happen again?” Onyx asked quietly, and the atmosphere instantly sobered.

“I think we need to go back to that clearing in the woods,” Hex said equally as quiet. “There’s something out in those trees that is obviously a threat to us.”

As much as Echo wanted to deny the obvious, as much as he wanted to beg and plead for his mates to stay home where it was safe, he didn’t. Home wasn’t safe anymore. The enemy had infiltrated their sanctuary, and Echo was pissed. “You’re right,” he agreed to everyone’s astonishment. “The Oracle said that we will have to defeat the evil to succeed in our tasks. Of course, I never know what the crap she’s talking about, but that seems pretty clear to me. So when do we leave?”

“You don’t,” Eyce said flatly, his voice brooking no argument. No argument from anyone except Echo, that is.

“Oh, can it with the
Me, Tarzan
bullshit. I can help, and you damn well know it.”

“We need you here to help Vapre in case we don’t return in time,” Hex said diplomatically.

Echo glared at their leader for a long time before he finally deflated, the air rushing out of his lungs in a huff. “Who’s going?”

“All of us,” Eyce answered immediately, “except for you, Vapre, Mac, and the vampires.”