Emergence

by Jaliza A. Burwell

  Baron smiled, his eyes on me.

  “Nyssa, nice to see you again.”

  “Can’t say I feel the same way. What are you doing?” I matched his tone, keeping my tone conversational.

  He lowered the knife as he watched Landus barrel into the protective spell again. When he fell back, he fell onto his ass, his eyes dazed.

  Baron’s expression darkened, revealing more of the craziness that was always just below the surface. He truly believed that he had the right hurt these beings for something done to him by a select few.

  “I wouldn’t have minded if you came, but you had to bring them with you. Why?” He spoke as if I’d betrayed him. As if I were the bad person for going against a promise I never made. I was really beginning to wonder what kind of fantasy he cooked up in that brain of his.

  “Because you took something that doesn’t belong to you, and we’re here to get them back. So let’s just make this easier and lower the shield.”

  He smirked as the door behind him burst open and a huge group of beings flowed through. There had to be twenty of them, and the moment I looked at them, I knew they weren’t the typical bad guys we’d been beating up. These guys were the elite, and I felt it coming off them in waves of anger and excitement.

  “Before I have them tear you apart, I just want one answer. How did you find us?”

  I smiled back. “The answer to that question will never come out of my mouth.”

  I reached up to the shield and felt it against my palm. Landus was finally getting back to his feet, his eyes on the new and most dangerous enemies in the room. He let out a roar that centered in his chest and rode out as a tsunami. It was primitive and sent shivers down my spine.

  His call for action caught the attention of his shifters and the two groups ran at each other, going around the protective circle.

  I glared at Baron, releasing the burning darkness I held so tightly within me. The air swirled with it, and unlike the madness I faced when I saw Cecil lying on the bed for the first time, nearly dead, I held on tight. The fighting erupted around me, and I ignored them all and apparently the bad guys ignored me too, wanting to get a piece of those actually attacking. Or Baron told them not to touch me. It could have been either one.

  Too bad that rule didn’t apply to me. I attacked too, just in a completely different and, truthfully, new way.

  “Lower this shield and let’s fight like normal brutes,” I said, pushing out the energy around me, forcing it to my whims. I took in a deep breath, going on instinct now. Instinct and anger and desperation and weariness. I used it all.

  I directed energy like never before but instead of stopping to wonder about what I was doing, I just went with it, letting instinct do what needed to be done. I shoved the energy up against his shield and pushed. I could feel the strain, feel him try to hold it. He would fail. It was just a matter of time.

  “What are you?” Baron asked, his eyes wide with amazement. “You’re not human. You’re not one of them.”

  I didn’t have a response for him, so I didn’t say anything. Instead, I pushed harder, letting out a small whoosh of air. My breath acted as an enforcer, strengthening the pressure against the shield.

  Then it broke.

  And I let hell loose.

  I fought. I fought for Cecil, for the girl tied to the table, for the shifters, mages, vampires, witches. I fought because I was tired of not fighting, of not winning. Baron should be dead. Needed to be dead. In flurries of movements, we went against each other, clashing and retreating. People grunted and cried out in pain around us but I couldn’t give them any of my attention. I stayed focused, death in my eyes, determination on my face.

  Baron needed to die.

  I dove in, bringing my leg up and smashing it against his side. He stepped away to lessen the force then jabbed his elbow into my side. I hunched forward, and he flipped me onto my back. My breath whooshed out of me, and I pushed through the lack of air.

  I did a fancy flip backward, getting back on my feet. In the corner of my eyes, Landus was surrounded by two guys who seemed to be giving him the runaround. I felt his eyes focus on me momentarily, as if checking to see if I was okay.

  Needing to ignore him, I went in again. I got Baron in the face, busting his lip, smirking at the feeling of his skin breaking against my fist. His hand wrapped around my upper left arm and he sent in a hot bolt of energy and let go as I screamed. Breaking my bone would have been less painful.

  Before I could understand what happened, I was on the ground and Baron was over me. “You really are an interesting one. Whatever you are is protecting you.”

  I threw a punch, but he blocked it and secured himself even more against me to prevent movement.

  “What the hell do you mean?”

  One of his hands lowered carefully to my stomach where the two wounds he gave me used to be. My eyes widened in understanding as he sent his energy cascading through the wound once again. I screamed out and bucked underneath him, my body on fire from the attack.

  “I’m not just opening your wound for the hell of it. I’m trying to make you mine.”

  “The spell,” I muttered as he confirmed what Cecil had already told me. He wanted ultimate control over me.

  Baron’s eyes brightened before he head-butted me, hard. Not a second later, his weight was gone. I blinked through the pain and the darkness creeping over me. Time passed unknowingly, everything turning hazy.

  When I blinked again and Landus stood over me, his lips moving.

  “Hmm?” I grunted.

  “Are you okay?”

  “What happened?”

  “You were in a daze. What the hell just happened?”

  “Baron?”

  “Gone, like the rest of his elite dogs. We lost track of them. They used a gate that closed after they went through.” He looked me over slowly before reaching his hand down. I grabbed it and he pulled me up to my feet in one easy yank. “What did you do? How did you get the shield down?”

  “Remember when I freaked out in Maura’s living room?”

  “Yeah.”

  “I did that, just a little more controlled.”

  He looked me over again very slowly, taking in my wounds and bruises. “How? You already have that kind of control?”

  I shrugged. “I let my instincts take over. After that, it just came naturally.”

  “Do you think you can do it again, on demand?”

  I thought about it for a moment. I thought about all the emotions I felt and what drove my instincts forward and what drove me to do what I needed to do. I was too used to relying on physical fights to think about fighting metaphysically. In that moment, all I saw was Baron and my need to see him dead. I was desperate for it.

  I shook my head. “No, not unless I’m working off my instincts.”

  “You mean out of control.”

  I glared at him and then suppressed a yawn. Shit. I could feel my hold on the gate weakening.

  “We need to get back through that gate unless you want to be stuck down here in the sewers in who knows what part of the city. With this many people we can’t exactly pop out from the ground. It’ll draw too much attention.”

  I swayed on my feet and ended up leaning against Landus’s body. His arm wrapped around my waist as we began to walk.

  The lights dimmed and flickered. Or maybe it was just my eyesight.

  “Shit.”

  “What’s wrong?” I could hear the concern in his voice, the stiffening of his body. I just couldn’t see him in the black spotty haze of my eyesight.

  “We need to get out of here now,” I mumbled as my consciousness slipped away.

  Hands lifted me up and tucked me into his hard chest. I patted his shoulder lightly, my hand feeling like it weighed a hundred pounds. “I’m going to sleep for a little while, don’t worry about me. Okay?”

  There was a brief moment of silence. “All right.”

  He carried me, and I marveled at the feeling. I was neve
r one to be carried. I was pretty damn sure I’d done more carrying than being carried. It was nice. Landus’s arms were strong and his body didn’t strain as he moved. Yet he held me like I was something delicate and precious. Something needing taking care of.

  I patted him again, my brain not working right. “Hey, do you like me?”

  His grip tightened as he moved me closer to his body.

  “Very much.” His voice was gruff with emotions I couldn’t pinpoint. I smiled into his chest.

  “Do you like me?”

  I chuckled. “Since the moment I saw you in that bathroom, all naked and delicious looking.”

  He chuckled, his chest rumbling in pleasure at my answer. My insides warmed up.

  I felt his breath against my cheek. “Go to sleep, Nyssa. I won’t let anything happen to you while you rest,” he whispered and then nuzzled my cheek.

  I grunted and trusted him to keep me safe as unconsciousness took over.

  We didn’t make it back to the gate, but Landus was a resourceful man. He’d figure it out.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  I remember coming across a waterfall. The water was a crystal blue and I didn’t wait another second to jump in. I remember the cool water washing over my beaten and bruised body. Refreshing. I drank it in, thankful for having water after so long.

  —Nyssa’s Journal

  A soft ticking noise pulled me out of my sleep, and I woke up in an unfamiliar bed surrounded by a very familiar scent. Everything smelled like Landus. It was like I was dipped into a tub of him. I allowed his scent to warm me up, something in me enjoying the smell and taste of him every time I inhaled.

  That something also practically purred and my eyes flew open as I felt that purr throughout my entire body.

  What was that? I didn’t purr.

  No way in hell did I just purr.

  I glanced around the room and stopped on the large shape curled up uncomfortably in a chair. Dark circles surrounded his eyes, revealing the fact that he hadn’t slept in a long while. He breathed deeply, a slight growling coming from his chest. Even in his sleep he looked mean. I smiled to myself. Despite the dark circles, the rumpled clothes, and the scruff around his chin, he was still so damn yummy looking. My libido woke up as I remembered that just before I passed out, he said he liked me. Very much.

  My entire body heated up to uncomfortable proportions. Flashes of all the kisses we shared went through my mind. All those kisses and warm emotions he made me feel formed a packed ball together and then knocked into me, stealing my breath. All the emotions washed over me, and if I didn’t have such good control over my body, I would have had an orgasm right then and there. My body burned for the touch of him.

  I kicked off the blankets and Landus jerked awake, on his feet in moments, ready to tear some imaginary being apart for being in close approximation to him. I was the only one there so I watched him carefully to make sure he didn’t try to tear me apart.

  He glanced around and when his eyes landed on me, he froze.

  His stare burned into me. I stared back. And whatever the hell I was, was purring inside of me in excitement. My body heat was too high and yet the warmth was comfortable. Heartwarming even.

  “You’re awake.”

  I swallowed, my mouth dry, and gave him a smile. “I am.”

  “Do you remember what happened?”

  My eyes roamed over his body. He was in a maroon T-shirt and sweatpants. I wanted to see it all go, to see all the planes of his body. And to feel it. My hands fisted at my side as I stood up slowly. He looked like he wanted to help me but my expression kept him still.

  “Are you well? You were asleep for two days.”

  “I’m fine. I told you I would fall asleep. The first time I did that, I went into a coma for a week.”

  “Is that why you didn’t want to do it?”

  I approached him slowly, my hands still at my sides, my insides boiling, my need to feel him so huge I thought it would consume me.

  “I may take risks but I still don’t want to die. Just be glad Maris wasn’t halfway across Terra Firma. I might have died then. How are they anyways?” My voice was low, thick with emotions I didn’t understand. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from him.

  “They’re okay. The female vampire they didn’t tell us about was safely returned and we had a little chat. They didn’t like the idea of us rescuing one of theirs.”

  I smiled, my lips stretching out into something more seductive. Paying attention to his words grew harder and harder. The purring within me increased with excitement and need. I wanted him so badly.

  Normally, when I wanted a guy, I had them. Like that same day. I was the queen of one-night stands, no attachments. But the moment I met Landus, something in me changed, and I was beginning to accept that. He wouldn’t be a one-night stand for me. He would be something else, something scary, but I needed him. And the days without addressing that need had finally pushed me over the edge. I needed him now.

  “Hey, Landus,” I whispered.

  He cocked an eyebrow, his stormy eyes on my lips.

  “Do you like me?”

  His eyes widened as they looked into my eyes. A fierce grin slowly broke across his handsome face. “Very much. Do you like me?”

  “Since the moment I saw you in that bathroom.”

  I took the last couple of steps in a rush of need and grabbed onto his shirt. I tugged him down so I could reach his lips and kissed him with everything I felt. His hands grabbed my waist in a tight grip as he drew me into him, positioning me so I could feel the already growing hardness in his sweatpants press against my lower stomach. I threaded my hands through his hair and pulled him even closer. His tongue came out against my lips, and I opened my mouth, letting him inside.

  He tasted even better than the last time I’d kissed him. The purring I’d been hearing inside of me now came out of my mouth. He paused for a moment, recognizing the animalistic sound. His own response was to pull me closer and growl. I wrapped my legs around him as he cupped my bottom and lifted me. He walked forward until we bumped into the bed then lowered me down, never breaking contact.

  A few moments passed of us making out as clothes were torn off, then his skin touched mine and my life completely changed. Something in me opened up, and I turned into a bundle of nerves.

  Our movements became frantic and I managed to gain the top position. I paused long enough to give Landus a saucy smile, enjoying my small victory despite the predatory look in his eyes. That look said everything I already knew. I was in that position because he allowed me to be. I planned on enjoying it for as long as possible.

  I worked my way across his jaw, down his neck and to his chin, nipping at his skin—tasting him, before making my way down his neck. I went down farther, finally exploring his chest like I’d been craving to do since I saw him naked in his bathroom. My lips followed my hands and I couldn’t stop the triumph I felt when Landus’s breathing turned erratic. I had control over him. Over the Prime.

  And he trusted me.

  My heart swelled with more strange emotions, but I pushed them aside to enjoy him. Landus’s hand knotted in my hair, and he pulled me back up to his lips. His kiss was scorching hot and so delicious. He rolled us so he was on top, and I wrapped my arms around him, feeling the tightness in his muscles as I enjoyed his skin against mine.

  His lips left mine and nibbled their way down to my breasts. He pulled back for just a moment, the fire in his eyes smoldering as he took in the view. Then he lowered his mouth and worked his magic while his fingers skimmed along my skin, teasing me.

  “Landus,” I groaned, and he chuckled at my frustration. I growled in warning, but it quickly turned into a purr as his lips met with my flesh. He nipped and pulled at my nipples, making it harder for me to breathe. Every touch was a shiver, every kiss a shock. He made my body hum with energy and whatever was inside me basked in each second of it.

  He settled himself between my legs, and I wrapped them aro
und him, drawing him closer. I could feel his erection push up against me. He put a little bit of distance between us and I thought he was going to pull away. So I reached down and gripped his length, marveling at the feel of him in my hand. With Landus, everything felt right. I had never felt this comfortable before. I stroked him a few times, and he moaned, pressing against my hand.

  “The things you do to me, Nyssa,” Landus groaned.

  “I think I know,” I whispered because he did the same fucking thing to me. He drove me insane. He put me on a continuous high, and without him, I felt low and empty. It was time to admit that he was something special to me. Cecil was a precious friend but Landus... I didn’t know what he was but he was definitely something more.

  I pulled him down to me and kissed him furiously, needing him closer, needing him to understand what it was that he did to me.

  He pulled back far enough to ask, “Are you sure?”

  I growled at him and yanked him back to me. Yes, I was sure.

  He sensed my answer in the kiss and in the way I tried to pull him closer. A moment later he positioned himself and then pushed inside of me.

  I gasped, taking him in completely. I raised my hips to meet his, and he slid even deeper inside of me. His size was fitting for a Prime, claiming me fully, stretching me to the verge of ecstasy.

  He let out a possessive roar, his beast coming to the surface as he fought for the little bit of control he still had. Slowly, ever so painfully slowly, he moved.

  We found a rhythm, my breath coming faster and faster as pressure built up inside of me. Landus groaned, still straining and holding himself back.

  “Let go, Landus. I can take it,” I said between breaths.

  And he did after only a brief hesitation. His pace quickened, his body heat rising to match mine, as our sweat mingled. He thrust harder and harder, making me cry out as he slammed into me. Desire overwhelmed me, pressure building to heights I’d never felt before.

  “Landus...”

  Our eyes met and something passed between us, a silent conversation of acceptance, of passion. Those feelings alone overwhelmed me and I sobbed out a cry of need, searching for release. Landus understood what I needed, and he gave it to me, slamming into me a couple more times, hitting my sweet spot every single time. I screamed as my body released the built up pressure. I became a volcano of molten eruption. Landus quaked over me, enjoying his own release.