Haunted by Your Touch (20 page)

Except Mathias’s expression said he had revenge on his mind.

Raiden didn’t dare teleport away. This close, Mathias would hear. And he couldn’t leave Tabitha alone. But he also couldn’t fight a half-dozen Anarki by himself.

Sending up a prayer that his unconventional idea would work, he whipped out his mobile phone and snapped a picture of Mathias and his goons, then sent it to Bram. He added a text:
Get ur arses 2 Sean Blackbourne’s & b quiet
.

Unless and until reinforcements arrived, Raiden had to slow the Anarki’s entry into the
house. Because if Mathias reached Tabitha, the fighting would likely be brutal, swift, and one-sided.

As the wind turned particularly brisk, he aimed his wand at the nearest tree and lopped off a heavy, dangling branch. He sent it hurtling into two of the formerly human soldiers. Their undead corpses toppled over, one decapitated. The other grunted, losing his arm and bleeding an oily black.

Mathias tensed and glared at the tree. Raiden knew he was sizing the situation up and wondering,
Natural causes or magical?

Raiden plastered himself behind, low to the ground, trying to figure out how the hell to stall Mathias now.

A moment later, he heard a gentle whoosh to his right. Raiden tensed, but Bram, Ice, Caden, and Ronan appeared in the shadows beside him, against the wall. Raiden whipped his gaze around to see if Mathias had heard or sensed their arrival. But the Anarki had already vanished, ripping the wrought-iron gates wide and stomping onto the grounds behind the brick walls.

Raiden stood, thoughts burning through his
head. He motioned the others over. “We have to go in now. Tabitha is inside—”

“We don’t know what we’re walking into,” Caden argued.

“I don’t fucking care. He can’t…” God, Raiden was so terrified of the possibilities, he couldn’t get the words out. “I will not let him touch her.”

Ice and Bram exchanged glances, then nodded.

“We’ll split up. Caden, you and Ice head to the east side of the house. See if you can determine where Mathias has gone and what he’s done. The rest of us will take the west side and do the same.”

No one was in sight as Raiden and the others sprinted across the expansive grass and approached the rambling house.

As they crept around the west side, one look into the windows proved to be Raiden’s worst nightmare. Blackbourne lay facedown on the ground, unmoving. Unconscious? Dead? And Mathias clamped a cruel hand around Tabitha’s arm, smiling with malice as he said something that made her flinch.

Terror pumped through Raiden. He prepared to launch himself through the window. Mathias could not touch her for another second without Raiden losing his fucking mind.

Bram grabbed his shoulder and forced him down. “Do you want to ensure her death? We need a plan.”

Mathias used his free hand to rip the top button of her dress. She shrank away with a scream. He laughed and reached for the second.

“We don’t have time for a plan.” Raiden shook off Bram’s grip. “If you want to help me save her, come with me. Otherwise, leave me the bloody hell alone.”

This time, he leapt through the window. Glass shattered everywhere, and Tabby turned away to avoid the spray. Shards peppered deep into Mathias’s face and chest. With a nasty scowl, he cursed.

Raiden reached for Tabitha to teleport her away—but Mathias stepped between them. Glaring, he magically wriggled the glass free from his skin. The bleeding cuts healed an instant later.

“Coming to your encinta’s rescue? How touching.” He grabbed Tabby tighter.

She fought and kicked, but Mathias slapped her soundly—a sharp crack of palm to cheek. Her head snapped back. Then she went completely limp.

Dear God, was she dead?

Seething bloody murder, Raiden charged, only to see Mathias raise a hand—and an invisible shield.

He bounced off the force field and snarled. “What the hell have you done to her?”

“She’s merely unconscious,” Mathias drawled. “Until I deem otherwise.”

“Tabitha doesn’t have the information you want. I do. Leave her be.”

“Oh, it’s not the information I require. And you’re in no position to give orders.” With a menacing grin, Mathias hovered one hand above Tabitha’s throat, mimicking a strangling grip. Even in her unconscious state she choked, turned red, thrashed.

Raiden tried desperately to push past Mathias’s invisible barrier. But damn it, the wizard had five hundred years’ experience on him.

Still, Raiden refused to give up. “Don’t hurt her. She can’t help you.”

“But you can. I’ll release your encinta unharmed if you give me the Untouchable within an hour. I know you, Bram, and that ridiculous Duke are sheltering her. Give her to me, and I’ll leave your sweet Tabitha alone.”

Duke would never allow that. He’d given
up virtually everything to keep the Untouchable woman safe. Besides, surrendering such a weapon to Mathias… they could all die an unpleasant death.

Raiden shook his head. “You’d never turn Tabitha loose unharmed. I think you’d kill her for the sport alone.”

Mathias raised a brow. “It pays to know your opponent. Clearly, you do. Bravo!”

While Mathias verbally jousted, Raiden caught site of Caden and Ice quietly creeping up behind the wizard, slowly drawing their wands. Both were covered in black blood, indicating they’d killed more than a few Anarki.

Out of the corner of his eye, Raiden saw Bram and Ronan approach Mathias’s blind flank, wands in hand. God, would they finally catch the bastard and vanquish him once and for all? Could it be that simple?

Caden pointed his wand at Mathias’s head, fury and hate all over his face, then took a step closer.

He bounced against Mathias’s invisible wall. And their surprise was blown.

Suddenly, the chilling bastard whirled to growl at them all and, arms raised, sent a massive wall of water crashing in every direction. Water
gushed with ear-splitting power, dousing everything in sight. They staggered back. The strong current swept Raiden’s feet out from under him and rolled above his head. Ahead, he could see Tabitha wriggling, a tangle of legs and skirts in the thick water as she fought Mathias.

Then another wave sucked him under.

Gasping for air, he fought his way to the surface, following the trail of bubbles. When he emerged, he sucked in a deep breath—and saw Tabby swimming across the surface toward him. Surprise jolted him like a live wire. She was alive! Free!

Greedily, he clutched her against his chest with one hand, wand in the other, while he scoured the room for Mathias. She grabbed Raiden tightly, buried her face in his neck, and sobbed.

As the water flooded out the open window and dissipated, Raiden realized Mathias was nowhere in sight.

“Damn it!” Caden shoved his wand back into his jacket.

Bram pocketed his wand and glared at Raiden. “We could have cornered the bastard, but we didn’t have a bloody plan. You jumped in without thought.”

With a glance, Raiden told the group’s leader that he could fuck himself. Yes, he wanted Mathias dead… but he needed Tabby alive more.

Ronan clapped him on the shoulder. “I’m glad she’s safe.”

“Besides,” Ice added, “we don’t actually know how to kill a wizard who’s already risen from the dead. There’s nothing to say that even with a plan, we would have succeeded tonight.”

In fact, they’d all wondered before if killing Mathias was a mere fantasy. Incarcerating him was nearly impossible, which left them wondering how the devil they could vanquish him once and for all. Raiden only knew they wouldn’t stop trying.

In his arms, Tabby pulled back and sent a terrified hazel gaze his way. “He’s gone, Raiden?”

“Yes. I’m here, love. How do you feel? How did you get free?”

“I’m fine. When he slapped me, I pretended to pass out, hoping he’d drop me or think me useless as a hostage.”

Wishful thinking.

“When Mathias blasted the water through the room,” she continued, “I-I felt him dissolving himself into the water. The way he grabbed me, I knew he meant to take me with him. And if he
did, he’d kill me. So I surprised him by kneeing him in the groin and shoving away just as he dissipated.”

If Mathias hadn’t already been in the midst of breaking down his form to float away with Tabitha, he would likely have remained behind and killed her just for spite.

Raiden clutched her tighter. He hadn’t saved her, damn it. She’d saved herself. Her cunning and bravery made him love her that much more.

“You amaze me, Tabby.”

“Please don’t leave me again.”

He didn’t know what to do. But he couldn’t give her back to Blackbourne if the other wizard still lived. That, he
knew
.

“You haven’t mated yet,” he observed by studying her signature.

“I-I told Sean I needed time to mourn, that I couldn’t pile what should be the happiest time of my life on top of the saddest.”

Raiden closed his eyes. He’d wanted Tabby safe… but the thought of her being Blackbourne’s had ripped his heart out and poured acid in the empty hole.

“But Sean suspected,” she went on, “that I was stalling. He knew I mourned you as well.”

Raiden hesitated. He’d brought her here for safety, but if he hadn’t returned tonight, Blackbourne would have failed her. She might, even now, have been dead. Or worse.

At his feet, Sean Blackbourne staggered upright and saw Tabitha in Raiden’s arms. Blackbourne froze, resignation settling across his features.

“You’ve come back for her, then?”

Raiden looked between him and Tabby—and realized that even with the risk of war, she’d be safer with him and the rest of the Doomsday Brethren. As long as Mathias roamed free, trying to overtake magickind, there would be danger everywhere. Raiden had seen plenty of casualties among magickind’s innocents, who had no defense against a maniac like Mathias. “Civilians” like Blackbourne were ill-equipped to fight this terrible threat. Mathias could come for Tabitha again and again. Raiden shuddered to think what would happen if he wasn’t by her side.

Meeting Blackbourne’s stare, he simply said, “Yes.”

Blackbourne sighed with regret, then looked at Tabitha. “I don’t have to ask what you want. It’s clear that you love him.”

Tabitha’s lips pressed together as she slowly
made her way to Blackbourne and kissed his cheek. “I’m sorry, but… I do.”

A sad half smile crept across the older wizard’s face. “Your haunted eyes made that hard to miss. At first I thought that mourning was strictly for your family, but when you said his name, I knew.” Then he glared up at Raiden. “You’re mating with her, correct? No more crap about lacking instinct?”

Raiden stiffened. “That’s something Tabitha and I will discuss.”

“See that you do. Quickly.”

Biting back anger, Raiden resisted telling Blackbourne what he could do with his edicts. But the wizard was letting them go with no malice, and getting Tabby to safety was more important.

With Blackbourne’s permission, they all teleported away from his estate and back to Ice’s caves. The other wizards quickly made themselves scarce. Raiden took Tabby’s hand and dragged her to his cave, then set her on the edge of his bed.

He knelt beside her, resisting the urge to fidget. “You deserve much better than me.”

“You’ve done your very best to keep me safe,” she argued quietly.

“It hasn’t been enough.”

“You don’t have to do it alone. Together, we survived these past few days. We will in the future, as well.”

“You don’t know that!” He jumped to his feet.

“I know without a doubt that you’ll do everything in your power to keep me and our youngling safe.”

True. And he’d never stop.

“This war is dangerous. I may not live to see old age.”

“I’ll cherish every moment we have, but I have faith you’ll do everything to return to me safely.”

Another truth.

Tabby grabbed his hand and urged him back down with a gentle tug. “Life doesn’t come with guarantees. These are dangerous times. Is anyone safe?”

No. And he knew it, had thought it himself mere minutes ago. “You’re right, but I’m…” Raiden shook his head, trying to force the words out of his mouth. He wanted Tabby so badly. But he wanted her happiness more. “I’m terrible mate material.”

“How do you know that for certain? You’ve never tried mating.”

Closing his eyes, Raiden hung his head. Shame clawed through him. He’d wasted years, focused on nothing more than conquering one female after another. It was all he knew. “You know my reputation.”

“Indeed.” She sighed. “If I released you now and gave you leave to bed any woman you wished, are you certain you wouldn’t choose me?”

Not choose Tabitha? No woman had ever affected him so much. He’d choose her every time. “You know I want you. God, so much…”

“Have you ever felt about another woman as you do about me?”

Until her, he’d never fathomed feeling about any witch as he felt about her. “No.”

“Have you ever told another woman you loved her and meant it?”

Say the three scariest words to some meaningless lay? “No. But your parents wanted—”

“My parents believed that you would never love me. If they were here now, what would you tell them?”

A wave of emotion broke over him. A realization. Sadness, joy. Raiden’s love for Tabitha flowed through his veins, as natural as breathing.

Suddenly, he knew exactly what he wanted.
Always before, he’d been afraid to believe in it, fight for it.

Not anymore.

Raiden took her face in his hands, feeling tears well in his eyes. “I’d tell them that I’ll defend you to my dying breath, that I will want you always, and that I love you more than my own life.”

She smiled softly, tears running from those thick-fringed hazel eyes. “That’s what I hoped you would say.”

His thoughts raced. Only one thing stood between him and Tabby now. He’d faced down Mathias tonight with less terror than asking his encinta the question on the tip of his tongue. “Do you have any reservations about mating with me?”

She caressed the side of his face and sent him a huge, bright-eyed smile that lit up his heart. “Call to me and find out.”