Soulless at Sunset

by Deanna Chase

  “I probably infused some of my magic, but I can’t be sure,” she said.

  I shook my head in awed disbelief. “You’re something else, Healer Imogen. You know that?” Then I grabbed her hand and tugged her from the room. “We’ll celebrate this later. Right now we need to find out what’s happening in that other room.”

  Our footsteps echoed in the hall, and I once again realized I couldn’t hear our friends. I fully expected to run into another invisible wall, but we didn’t. The door wasn’t even locked. And when I burst in, it took me a moment to register the scene.

  I paused, Imogen right behind me, and blinked, scanning the room.

  “Nice of you to finally join us, witches,” Morena drawled and then took a drag from the longest cigarette I’d ever seen. The thing must’ve been at least a foot long and smelled like cinnamon-coated tar. She was sitting in a recliner, her legs crossed while she drummed her scraggly nails on the armrest. Her hair was a tangled mess, her dress had moth holes, and her boots were coming apart at the seams. Morena, it appeared, was losing her hold on her place on earth. I suspected that if she didn’t get her sacrifice, she’d be sent back to the hell she came from.

  Wouldn’t that be nice?

  I coughed and scanned the room. Willow was in her cell, Link and Leo, both of them in wolf form, right next to her. Allcot and Pandora were trapped in some sort of shimmering bubble. Dax was pinned to the wall, held up by invisible restraints, and his mouth clamped shut. And Talisen was nowhere to be seen. I said a silent prayer he was safe somewhere in another room.

  “You two owe me an army of demons,” Morena said. “It seems you found a way to send them home without my permission.”

  “Send home.” I scoffed. “Sure. If that’s how you want to put it. You ready to join them?”

  “As long as Bandu is alive, this plane will remain my home. There’s nothing you can do to stop that,” she said and pushed herself up out of the chair.

  Power rolled off her in thick waves, making my skin itch. It was impressive really, the way she had Dax pinned and Allcot and Pandora caged and still possessed so much power I could practically see it.

  “Come on, Morena,” I said. “Carter is toast and Bandu is on his last breath, and your demons… Well, Imogen and I took care of them. Now how about you and me just finish this shit show?”

  “That’s a lie! Carter can’t die,” she screamed, her black eyes turning red with rage.

  I suppressed a shudder and waved a hand at Imogen. “Seems all it took was a powerful healer. Check for yourself. He’s a stone-cold corpse lying on the floor while Bandu struggles to breathe on the bed above him.” I smiled sweetly at her. “I know it isn’t the outcome you hoped for, but you fucked with the wrong witch.”

  She flew at me, her gnarled hands tangling in my hair.

  “Son of a bitch! What are you, a thirteen-year-old girl?” I cried and twisted hard, cursing as she ripped away tufts of my hair. “For fuck’s sake. Now I’m going to have to get my hair done.”

  Morena was not amused. The sorceress waved a hand and sent the recliner right at my head. I ducked just in time to keep it from knocking me out. I flattened myself to the floor, rolled twice, and scrambled to my feet, ready to fight, but as soon as I did, my eyes nearly bugged out of my head.

  Bandu was standing in the middle of the room, holding the golden stake in one hand and a gold ring in the other. Anguished cries ripped from his throat as he held both in the air and shook his fists at the sky as if he was damning the powers that be.

  Morena’s eyes widened and filled with tears. Forgetting us, she flew to him and wrapped him in her arms, apologizing over and over and over again, telling him they’d be okay. If they stuck together, they’d find a way to honor Carter, to learn to love again.

  Bandu stiffened, then pushed her away and shook his head violently. “He was the only man I ever loved. The only one I wanted to love. I’ve loved him for four centuries and these are the only things left of him.” Bandu shouted angrily at Morena and thrust the ring her face. “Do you see this? The ring I gave him four hundred years ago. One of the cursed rings you sold us. The ones that bound us to you for forever. Now he’s gone. And I can’t even take mine off. You still own me, you wretched, horrible piece of evil!”

  He dropped his head, his sobs wracking his body. Morena moved in again, trying to soothe him, but the moment her arms came around him, he jerked his arm up and the golden stake he still had in his hand went right through her heart.

  She let out a startled gasp and whispered, “What did you do?”

  Before he could answer, the light rippled beneath both of their skins, brightened, then exploded in a brilliant ray of light, ten times brighter than when Imogen and I had destroyed her demons.

  I threw my arm over my eyes and jerked back, my ears ringing from the massive blast. For a moment, everything was silent. A reprieve from the chaos of the past few hours. But then everyone started to chatter, and strong arms engulfed me from behind.

  “Dax,” I said, resting my head against his strong chest.

  “It took you guys long enough,” he whispered in my ear.

  I smiled, knowing he wasn’t kidding. He’d known all along we’d show up, but no one could’ve predicted what happened with Bandu. I couldn’t say I was surprised really. It was clear he hated what he’d become, and without Carter, he’d had no reason to keep living a tortured life.

  “Phoebs!” Willow called from across the room. I glanced at the cell to find Allcot already picking the lock and grinned at her.

  “Ready to go home?” I asked.

  “Only once we find Talisen.” Her voice cracked as much from worry as it did from fatigue. Her eyes were full of concern, and it was obvious she hadn’t slept since she’d been abducted.

  “Son of a… Dammit. I’ll find him. Any ideas where to start?”

  She pointed to a door on the other side of the room. “Try there.”

  “On it.” I slipped away from Dax and moved to the door. Locked. It was annoying but not an issue. I dug into my pocket and pulled out my own set of picks. In less than ten seconds I had the door open and strode into the dark room. After running my hand over the wall, I finally found the light switch and flicked it on.

  It took a moment for my vision to adjust, and when it did, I just stood there, frozen. Two cells were side by side. One held Talisen, and the other…

  “Seth!” I screamed and ran over to the cell.

  He sat straight up and blinked, much like I’d done just a moment ago. And when recognition dawned, a huge grin spread over his stubbled face. “Hey, sis. Long time no see.”

  26

  It’d been exactly three hours and forty-two minutes since I’d first spotted Seth sitting in that cell next to Talisen. In that time, I’d gotten exactly zero information from him on where he’d been the past eight years.

  I sat at the kitchen table in the house I shared with Willow and Talisen, Dax on my right, Seth on my left. Willow and Talisen were across from us and Link was in shih tzu form on Willow’s lap.

  After Allcot had freed Willow from her cell and Talisen and Seth and I had joined everyone outside, Allcot had invited us all back to his mansion for brunch and some serious R and R. Imogen had taken him up on the offer, but the rest of us had declined. Willow needed to be in her space and, more importantly, sleep in her own bed with her husband. I, of course, hadn’t any interest in staying at Allcot’s house, though my opinion of him had softened some. And I just downright liked Pandora. She was a vampire with some serious sass and gumption. Definitely my kind of woman.

  I took one look at Dax and practically ordered him to come home with me. After forty some odd hours of nonstop turmoil, I was ready to give in and take some comfort. I didn’t know what that said about our relationship, but I knew he was the only one I wanted in my bed… whether the director liked it or not.

  And that had left Leo the odd man out. He’d been living at the pack compound, but after everyth
ing he’d learned and done over the past few days, it was not a good idea to head back there, so Dax had thrust his keys at him and told him to stay at his apartment. He’d told him he could stay as long as he wanted because Dax was going to be with me. And that was cool… for now. We’d see.

  “Anyone want more bacon?” Dax asked.

  I raised my hand, feeling as if I was never going to get full again. Had I eaten at all? I couldn’t remember.

  Seth laughed. “For such a small girl, you were always one that could pack the food away.”

  I scoffed. “With you in the house, it was just self-preservation. Any food that was put on the table was gone within minutes.”

  “Fair enough.” He winked at me and pushed his chair back as he stood. “Thanks for breakfast, Talisen. It was delicious. Best meal I’ve had in years.”

  Talisen raised one eyebrow. “You’re welcome, but I’m questioning your meal choices since all I made was scrambled eggs and bacon.”

  Seth laughed. “I’ve been… out of pocket.”

  “I guess so.” Talisen stood and snagged Seth’s empty plate. He glanced at me. “Looks like we need to take your brother on a restaurant tour while he’s in town.”

  “Sure,” I said. “Just as soon as we find out how long he’ll be here.”

  “Not long. I don’t want to impose,” Seth said.

  “It’s no imposition,” Willow, Tal, and I said at the same time, then laughed. “Really,” I finished “We don’t have an extra room, but the couch is yours for as long as you want it.”

  “I appreciate that.” He bowed his head in thanks and snagged the mug off the table. “I’m just going to grab a refill, then get that shower I’ve been dreaming about.”

  “You can use my bathroom,” I called after him. “First bedroom on the right at the bottom of the stairs.

  “Got it.” He waved and disappeared down to the first floor.

  I let out a slightly frustrated breath and glanced around, so grateful to have my chosen family back home safe and sound. I eyed Willow and Talisen. “You guys doing okay? Anything you need?”

  “Just sleep,” Willow said with a yawn.

  “Okay, well—”

  Willow put her hand up, stopping me. “Enough, Phoebs. We appreciate your taking care of us. And damn, everything you did over the past few days. You know I never doubted for a second you’d find us.”

  “That’s because she’s the best damned tracker at the Void,” Dax said, covering my hand with his.

  “Damn straight,” I agreed with a grin. “Though I might’ve had a little help.”

  “Just a little,” he said, grinning.

  “Well,” Willow said, humor in her tone. “Aren’t you two cute. Is this a revival of that great affair y’all had a few months ago?”

  “Wil!” I said, feigning offense.

  “Yes,” Dax said. “And as soon as her brother gets the heck out of her room, we’re going to make it official.”

  Heat crawled up my neck, but I didn’t deny his words.

  Willow let out a cackle that actually turned into a yawn, and her eyes started to water.

  “Okay, that’s enough ribbing our friends about their relationship. Time for bed, Mrs. Kavanagh.” Talisen held out his hand to his wife. And once she was tucked safely in his arm, he glanced back at us. “Remember, safety first.”

  Dax chortled. “On it.”

  The two fae rounded the corner, Link chasing after them, and a moment later, I heard their bedroom door close softly behind them.

  Still chuckling from our exchange with Willow and Talisen, Dax helped me clean up. And when we were done, he led me downstairs. Seth was already curled up on the couch, his head buried under a blanket.

  I eyed him, longing to talk to him. To finally get answers, but Dax tugged me into my bedroom, shut the door, and locked it behind us.

  “We’re going to need some privacy,” he said.

  One side of my mouth twisted into a smile. “Is that so?”

  “It is. I have a lot of time to make up for.” He backed me up against the wall and swept a lock of hair off my shoulder. “I’m going to need extra time to get reacquainted with every inch of you.”

  A shiver of desire tingled low in my belly, and I licked my lips in anticipation. “I think we’re gonna need supplies for this.”

  A gleam of interest lit his dark eyes. “Supplies?”

  “Yeah, you know, water, snacks, extra lube. We don’t want to get dehydrated or weak or—”

  “Dried out,” he finished and dipped his lips to my neck, nipping gently at my delicate skin.

  “Yeah, that,” I said with a sigh, running my hand up the back of his shirt. He felt so damned good, his body pressing into mine, his lips tracing my skin, his hands digging into my hips. “Dammit, I want you, Dax.”

  “You’ve got me, Phoebs. In every way that matters.”

  I pulled back and met his heated gaze. Emotion and something that looked an awful lot like love stared back at me. His eyes softened as he studied me, and I could only imagine what he saw when he looked at me. Probably much the same, only I wasn’t ready to go there. Not today. Not after such an emotionally charged weekend.

  We needed time to process, to get to know each other, to just love each other in the moment.

  I cupped his face with both hands and pressed up on my toes to kiss him. It was gentle at first, tender. Then he sucked in a sharp breath and deepened the kiss, taking it from sweet to hot and almost desperate in a matter of seconds. Our hands were everywhere, each of us fumbling with each other’s clothes, tearing at each other, needing to feel skin on skin.

  And finally, when we were free of our restraints, Dax stared down at me, his dark eyes molten with so much desire he made me quiver with anticipation.

  “Now that you’ve got me here, Mr. Marrok, what do you plan to do with me?”

  A slow, sexy as hell smile claimed his lips. Then he let out a growl and said, “Make every inch of you mine.”

  I woke amid the darkness. Dax was beside me, warm and naked and perfect. I stared at him, remembering the way he felt hovering above me, pressing down into me, filling me, branding me with his hot kisses and staying true to his word when he said he’d make me his.

  He’d succeeded. Because as I lay there in the darkness, running my fingers through his thick dark hair while he slept, there wasn’t any other man I wanted beside me. Dax knew me. He understood me, and he for damn sure respected me. Add in hot sex and it was a combination I’d never be able to pass up.

  I shifted forward, pressed a kiss to his lips, and then rolled out of bed. Then I threw on a fresh change of clothes and headed out to find my brother.

  Seth wasn’t on the couch. I glanced up at the clock. It was just past seven p.m. Had he slept most of the day like the rest of us? Or had he left? The thought sent me into a mild panic, and I took the stairs two at a time and rushed into the kitchen.

  There he was, sitting at the table, munching on the largest sandwich I’d ever seen.

  “Some things never change,” I said, sitting down next to him and grabbing a chip from his plate.

  He watched me munch and nodded. “It’s true, some things never do.”

  “How’d you sleep?” I asked, not wanting to launch into the deep end of my questions right off the bat.

  “Good. Comfy couch. You?” he asked, his voice inflecting a fair bit of innuendo.

  “Perfect. Thank you.” I got up and made myself a cup of tea. By the time I sat back down, I couldn’t hold it in anymore. “Dammit, Seth. You have to tell me where you’ve been all these years. Undercover? Locked up? Amnesia?”

  He let out a sad chuckle. “No. Those are all great theories though.”

  I slammed my mug down, not caring that the tea spilled all over the table. “I don’t want to play this game. Do you have any idea how much pain I’ve been in? Or how long I looked for you? I just heard the other day that you’d been sighted a few times within the past couple of years. Do
you have any idea how much that hurts? To know you’ve been out there and yet didn’t come see me?”

  “I did come to see you, Phoebs. I just…” He ran a hand through his thick dark hair. It was the same color as mine, only his had a curl to it I used to covet. Now I wanted to grab it and yank some sense into him.

  “You just what, Seth? Just what!”

  “It was too hard… I couldn’t explain. It’s…” He sighed. “I shouldn’t be here.”

  “Of course you should. I’m you’re sister. We’re family.” I placed my hand over his, and for the first time I noticed a platinum band on his ring finger. I stared at it, my heart nearly cracking in two. “You’re married.”

  He nodded. “Listen, Phoebe. This is important.”

  I squeezed his fingers. “I’m listening.”

  “I don’t belong here anymore. The only reason I came back was because I knew about the ritual—”

  “You knew! And you didn’t tell me? What the hell, Seth?”

  “Phoebs, please. I don’t have much time. I didn’t know it would involve you or your friends. I had no idea about that. But I did know about Carter and Bandu. I’ve been trying to stop them for the past eight years. I failed the first two times, and then I’d say third time’s a charm, but you were the one who made it happen. I just got captured.”

  I shrugged. “It happens to all of us at some point.”

  “True. But I’d been working this case for the better part of a decade. Not the best way to end your last mission, right?”

  “Your last… What does that mean? You’re leaving the Void?”

  “I left a long time ago, Phoebs. Surely you knew that.”

  I shook my head. “Actually, I didn’t know. All knew was that you were missing. Then I heard from some vamp that you hacked something for him, and I thought you were undercover. Didn’t you just say you were working this case for eight years?”

  “Independently. It was the one I wanted to finish.” He cleared his throat. “Anyway, now I have and it’s time for me to go back.”

  “Go back where?” I demanded in frustration.