“Serious? It can’t be that easy,” Baal said.
“Do you think that’s the book we’re looking for?” Katie had to agree. This seemed much easier than expected. Where were the falling rocks and shooting arrows? Maybe she’d watched too many movies.
Seth moved closer to the pedestal, yet held back and circled. Studied it with great intent. “I have to agree with Baal. I can’t believe we could just waltz in here.”
The demon strode up next to him. “I sense some heavy magic surrounding it.”
Seth nodded. “So do I.” He moved around it again then stopped suddenly. “Here is where the weave of magic starts.” He pointed, but Katie saw nothing except air.
“I can’t see it, but I know it’s there,” Baal stated.
Diego came up closer. “It looks like one big ball of energy all entwined together.”
“There is an inscription.” Seth pointed. “It says ‘ergriff wer chosen hianag shilta unravel wer vers’.”
“Ah, English version please.” Katie didn’t hide her sarcasm.
Diego piped up. “Only the chosen daughter can unravel the power.”
“Does it mean me?”
Seth’s gaze met hers. “I would guess, but who knows for sure. We don’t even know what will happen if the wrong person tries to take the book.”
She shuddered. “Well either way I’m screwed so what do I do?”
He looked back at the pedestal. “There’s more. It says the rightful owner will be able to reach in and remove the book. Anyone else who tries will be burned to death.”
She took a step back. “I guess we know what happens to the wrong person.” Why did everything have to end in someone burning? “Why can you see all of that and no one else can?”
Seth stepped back beside her. “I’m not sure. Maybe it has something to do with my origins.”
She pinched the bridge of her nose. “You mean being a guardian?”
“No, more like I was the first. I wasn’t born, but created. The others who were created after me have perished.”
“So where did the guardians I met come from?” She had a feeling the answer was a bit more complicated than her mind could handle at the moment.
“They were born of parents. Ancestors of the originals created.” Seth was matter of fact.
For some reason the thought of him with another woman ticked her off. “You mean you fathered children?”
“I indirectly fathered all the guardians. After I was made, Zarek created two males and two females from my DNA. They went on to bear the first children, not me.”
“So, the gods raised you?” She couldn’t wrap her mind around it.
“Why are we discussing this now?” Irritation evident in his voice.
She shoved her fists onto her hips. “Do you need to be some place? I got all day and since I’m the one who has to stick my hand into whatever––” She waved toward the book. “I’d like to learn all I can about who the hell you are.”
He let out an exasperated sigh. “Very well. No one raised me, as I was never a child. I was created as you see me now.”
“Well that kinda sucks.” Katie was gaining a whole new respect for the man. He’d never known the love of a parent or bedtime stories. So many things he had missed out on. She found herself wondering if he knew how to love at all. Had he ever been in love? How many women had he slept with in his life? Being so old, he had to be great in bed. Where the hell did that come from? She was starting to think she was going off the deep end as well.
Seth turned to the other two men. “Leave us.”
“Seth?” Baal stepped closer to him. “What are you planning?”
“I wish to speak to my mate. Alone.”
Baal must have been satisfied with the answer since he and Diego vanished. Katie however... Her nerves began to fray.
“What exactly are you planning?”
“Your pretty head is swimming with questions.” He stepped closer. She backed away. He pressed forward until her back hit the stone wall. “Do you fear me now?”
“No.”
“You lie. I can smell your fear. Do you think I will harm you?”
She refused to answer, mostly because she didn’t have one.
He placed his palms on either side of her head and caged her in. There was no place to go and his erection pressed into her. Common sense said she should have cringed, instead heat flooded to her core. Why the hell was she aroused?
“You are aroused because I am your mate. It is the way of things and there is no stopping what the gods deem as fate.” He ran his nose along her neck and she shivered. The thought that he might bite her brought both excitement and desire.
“I won’t be taking your blood, because once I do I will not have the willpower to stay away.” He ran his fingers through her hair. “I am not a man you wish to be tied to, but there is one thing I will ask of you.”
She licked her lips, and stared into his eyes. “What?”
“I’m a sucker for pain. I need to know what I’m missing. What I will never have. I need your lips pressed against mine. I want to know the taste of you on my tongue.”
He was a sucker? Maybe she was as well. She cupped his cheeks and pulled him closer. Her mouth locked onto his. The hard muscle that pressed against her body was a stark contrast to the softness of his lips. She opened and allowed his tongue to sweep in. He tasted of hot cinnamon candy, her favorite and she kissed him harder. His hands moved down her arms and came to rest on her hips. Her nipples tightened and pressed against her bra and she wondered if his erection was as painful.
Katie swore the world stopped and there was nothing but them and the stolen moment they shared. Her body burned, but in a different way than she was used to. It ached for him, all of him and she had to fight to keep from ripping their clothes off and begging him to take her.
Seth broke away and left her gasping for air, her pulse raced and her skin grew hypersensitive. What had he done to her? She studied him and took pleasure in noting his eyes gave everything away. He desired her as much as she did him.
“That was a mistake,” he declared.
“Was it?” She didn’t think so. Matter of fact, nothing in her life had ever felt more right. She fisted the front of his shirt and ached to tear it to shreds. “We may both die tomorrow. Hell, could be five minutes from now. Why can’t we simply enjoy each other?”
Seth grabbed her hands and pushed them away, taking three steps back. “We cannot consummate this relationship. To do so will bring us even closer together.”
He was going to leave her hot and bothered. Bastard! She pushed off the wall, her Irish temper flared. “You’re right, of course. We’ll get the book and move on.” She couldn’t help but look at him and grin. “Perhaps that sexy demon will cool my lust.” Take that, you ass!
He showed no emotion, which pissed her off even more. She stormed to the pedestal. “May we both be damned.” Reached for the book and removed it from its resting place.
Nothing. All remained quiet and the world hadn’t stopped, at least as far as she knew.
Chapter Twelve
Lowan sipped his goblet of blood wine and tapped his fingers on his chair. The excitement that zinged through his body had him feeling like a small child with a new toy.
“My lord, you summoned me?”
His gaze moved to Chaval, the Sumari warrior. He smiled at the fact he owned such a prize possession as a Sumari. They were rare. Chaval’s father was a demon and his mother fae. The combination of magic and demon warrior brought him incredible strength. Not to mention what his dark magic could do.
“Chaval, are we ready to open the barrier?”
The man tipped his head, his blue gaze a stark contrast to the white hair that fell to his shoulders. “My lord, we are ready.”
“Excellent!” Lowan rose and gave Chaval a hard slap on the back. “You are sure this will work?”
Chaval curled his lip. “Certain.”
“I hope for the sa
ke of your pretty little sister it does.” He grabbed the warrior’s chin in his vice-like grip and forced their gazes to meet. “I must say though, there is almost a part of me that wishes you to fail. Your sister would make a suitable mistress. Her beauty is beyond words.” He licked his lips. “I can picture her naked and tied to my bed.”
The demon inside Chaval surfaced. His eyes flashed red and he snarled.
“That’s it, let your anger rise. Your hatred will serve me well in the coming war.” He removed his hand from the warrior’s chin and placed it on Chaval’s shoulder. “Kneel before your king.”
Lowan forced Chaval to his knees.
“Revere me as your leader and I will bestow you with a place of honor by my side. Cross me and those you love will feel my wrath.” Lowan knew he could never torture Chaval into submission so he used the only weapon available to him. The threat against those the warrior loved. He’d nearly turned the Sumari’s mind to mush trying to extract the information, but in the end, he had been successful and now used it to control one of the most lethal men alive.
“Acknowledge me as your god and king,” Lowan snarled.
Chaval curled his lower lip inward, his eyes darkened even more. “I forsake all others, my lord. I pledge my loyalty to only you.” He reached out and took Lowan’s left hand into his and pressed his lips to Lowan’s knuckles.
“Good. Rise up and let us make our way back to Vandeldor. We have some guardians to kill.” Lowan could scarcely believe he was finally going to be free of his confinement. His freedom also meant he could avenge both his mother’s and father’s death. Yes, all involved would pay and dearly. Eventually he’d even seek out the gods. They had allowed his family to perish and aided in his imprisonment, including his grandfather, Hades. Yes, he too would fall under Lowan’s sword.
Seth choked on his anger. How dare she threaten to sleep with the demon! The fact he had just told her they could never be together was irrelevant. Then she marched over and grabbed the book. Consequences be damned.
“Woman, I swear to the gods...”
The ground rumbled and the wall to his right moved to reveal another doorway. He turned toward the other side from where they had come and noted something was off. He swung his head to study the room from one corner to the other.
“Son of a bitch. We need to leave. Now!” He grabbed her arm and jerked her, maybe a little too hard toward the new opening.
“What the hell?” She clawed at him, but he held fast.
“Gods damn it, woman! Can’t you see the fucking room is shrinking?”
She stopped fighting to turn her gaze to the room he was trying to drag her from. Her eyes widened and a gasp escaped before she began to push him.
“Hurry up! What are you waiting for? We need to get out of here.”
He rolled his eyes at her sudden change of attitude and proceeded through the opening. Another tight fit, but at least there was light coming from somewhere up ahead.
“Oh, for cripes sake. Why do all these passages have to be so damn narrow?” Katie bit out.
Seth narrowed his gaze. “Why the hell did you have to just march right over and grab the book?”
“Well, pardon me. For some stupid ass reason, I thought that was why I was here.”
“Vexing woman,” he hissed under his breath.
“What?”
“Nothing. Not a gods damn fucking thing.”
“Yeah, I thought so.”
He swore the woman would be his undoing and at the moment he wanted to both throttle her and fuck her. Luckily for her, he managed to curb both desires and instead concentrate on getting them out of immediate danger. Afterward...well, he made no guarantees.
“Can you just do that thingie you do?” Katie asked.
“Thingie? What precisely is a thingie?” Everything grated on his nerves and he didn’t bother to hide his irritation.
She let out an audible sigh. “You know. Just flash us from here.” She snorted. “Dumb ass.”
Oh, that took the cake. He stopped so fast she walked right into him. He turned and glared, even let his fangs descend and hoped he looked a menace.
“Don’t you think I have tried that already? Something is blocking my ability.”
She opened her mouth, but he raised his hand to silence her.
“Before you open that flap of yours. Yes, I have also tried calling the others and that too appears to be blocked. So, for the moment we seem to be stuck here. Together.”
She crossed her arms over her breasts, book in one hand. “Well then what damn good are you?”
Dear gods, grant me patience. “Let me see the book. Perhaps it will tell us something.”
She handed it over without hesitation. “Now that’s the best idea you’ve had.”
He snatched it and opened it to the first page. She leaned into him to get a better view and he tried not to notice her soft curves.
“Ack. I hope you can read that, ‘cause I sure as hell can’t.”
“It’s written in Draconic, of course, I can read it. It says, ‘There will come a time when the balance of good and evil will shift. Humanity will suffer a great loss before the tables can be righted. Only when the fire child has completed her mission will the Phoenix rise again’.”
She chewed her bottom lip. “I don’t like the sound of that.”
“Neither do I.”
“So, who is the fire child and what’s the mission?”
He continued to scan the page. “It says, ‘When the bearer of the dagger of Embara transforms, only then will the god awaken and begin his rebirth’.”
“Sounds like a damn riddle.”
He nodded. “The gods are known for them. Let’s see what else it says.” He flipped the page and continued reading to himself before he closed the book.
“Well?”
“It would seem that the Phoenix god has been reincarnated yet has no idea who he is. Once the bearer of the dagger transforms, into what I have no fucking clue, then the god will awaken.” He shoved the book back at her. “Of course, it’s not that simple.”
She shook her head. “Of course not.”
“It would also seem in order to save humanity, someone close to the god will have to make the ultimate sacrifice. Only then will the evil be pushed back from where it came.”
She clutched the book to her chest. “And that would be?”
He snorted. “Well now you have a lot to learn. Gods don’t give you step-by-step instructions. They’re fickle that way.”
“So, let me see if I have this straight. The person who has the dagger has to transform into something. This will awaken the god from whatever body he possesses. At some point, someone close to him will have to make a sacrifice and then shit will hit the fan?”
“You summed it up beautifully.”
“Well, it sounds like a piece of cake. Now what?”
“Now we figure out how to get out of here. The others need to see this and maybe someone will have suggestions.” He started to walk.
“Why do I not feel confident? You are an ancient, if you don’t understand it then who the hell will?”
“The Draki as a race are older than I. They were the first living creatures created, besides the gods. Maybe, Caleb will be able to provide some answers.”
“So, we head back to their place? It sounds like a solid plan.”
“Well, I’m glad you approve.” He could feel her eyes boring holes into his back.
“Why do I feel like you’re being a smart ass?”
“Because I am.”
Katie followed behind Seth and clutched the wretched book to her chest. She was beginning to hate the damn thing and if not for the fact they needed it, she would smack him upside the head with it. It had only caused more confusion than it had alleviated. To top it off, she was getting another hot flash and Seth’s voices were mumbling in the back on her mind again. How he ever managed to get a coherent thought in edgewise was beyond her. She had to give him credit. Even
though he irritated the hell out of her, she really did like him. Another hadn’t challenged her mentally in a long time.
“It feels like we have been walking forever.” Her legs were tired and she felt like a rat in a maze. Every turn they took led them to another. “Be honest. Do you know where we are?”
Seth stopped and leaned against the wall. “I’ve no idea nor can I sense anything but rock.” He pulled her to him. “You need more blood. Your temperature is rising again. Can you hear the voices?”
“Yes, but they’re not as bad as before.”
“Good, then we have gotten to it in time.” He bit his wrist. “Do you need my help?”
She stared at the blood pooling on his arm. “No, I can do this on my own.” She closed her eyes. As long as she didn’t have to see it then it wouldn’t be a problem. She sucked up the chocolaty goodness and was thankful the taste hadn’t changed. After a few laps Seth pulled away and the voices quieted.
“Better?”
“Yes. Tell me something. If I have to have your blood then what happens to me if you’re not around?” She dreaded even thinking about it, but it needed to be asked.
“I’m sure once you have a mate you’ll be fine.”
“So, you’re willing to bet my life on it?” She wasn’t sure how to feel about that. One part of her didn’t want to be tied to a man. The other was pissed that he would simply assume mating with another would be her cure.
“We should continue on.”
She pushed herself off the wall. “Right. Lead on then.” Mental note, he ignored my question. Prick.
Seth continued along the endless corridor. And she followed like an obedient puppy. When they came to yet another junction it was either go forward or take a left. He led them left. She was only three steps behind him when the floor beneath her gave way and she fell.
Chapter Thirteen
Katie screamed as the floor beneath her gave way. Her ass hit hard and she slid, reminding her of one of those damn tubes at the water park, except there was no light at the end. Only darkness. She clutched the book tight to her chest, fearing she’d lose it and prepared herself for the inevitable painful exit.
Vampire's Kiss Page 10
