INSATIABLE BREATH OF DARKNESS

by Candice Stauffer

  “That means nothing to me.”

  “Sure, it does. It means she is not going anywhere with you.”

  “You don’t want to fuck with me, dipshit.”

  “My name is Adam Vlacic.”

  Hanna grabbed Adam’s hand and squeezed it. “Don’t.” When she released his hand, he reached for her, but she smacked his hand away.

  “I don’t give a fuck what your name is,” Robert hissed between clenched teeth.

  “If you want to live a little longer you need to turn your ass around, crawl back to your master, and let him know I’m coming for him.”

  “What are you doing?” she asked.

  He couldn’t figure out why she was so distressed over him revealing his full name. He was a powerful immortal. A demon. Surely, she didn’t doubt his ability to defend her against a being as weak as Robert. “It’s okay.”

  “I don’t want you to die for me.” She was attempting to get him to leave because she was scared for him.

  He placed his hand on the center of her back, trying to calm her. “It’s okay, Hanna.” He didn’t bother to hide his conversation with her from Robert. “I know what I am doing.”

  She shook her head. “This has nothing to do with you. You’re about to get yourself killed for nothing.”

  “It’s too late for him,” Robert said. “You can’t save him.”

  Adam didn’t understand why Hanna would be so worried about him. She knew him. She knew he was a demon. “I want to make it easy for Evolved to come after me.”

  “You will regret it when they do,” Robert laughed.

  She looked up at him, shaking her head. “Forget it. I am not allowing you to do this.”

  “Let’s go, bitch. You can’t help him. He is already fucked.” The idiot tried to shove Adam to the side and ended up flat on his ass.

  “You’re making it damned near impossible to remember why I decided to allow you to leave here alive and in one piece.” As a demon, Adam’s temper naturally ran hot. He didn’t care what the maggot called him. Name calling would’ve never caused him to raise an eyebrow. But after hearing the idiot call her a bitch, he found himself struggling against the urge to reach out and rip his heart out.

  He reminded himself that he was going to kill him. It was only a matter of time. Knowing should’ve been enough. It wasn’t easy to refrain from ending the encounter in bloodshed. It was nearing a tipping point when Robert lunged to grab her.

  Of course, the hedge of protection surrounding her knocked the idiot on his ass. It pissed him off. He got to his feet and tried again. The same result but, thanks to a quick shove of energy cast off from a wave of Adam’s hand, Robert was hurled several feet further and landed on his backside.

  Robert reached behind his back and retrieved a gun. “You’re going to die!”

  Usually, Adam wouldn’t have panicked over a gun, but he did at that moment. He wouldn’t take a chance of her getting shot. He moved with blurring speed, jumping on the bastard, and ripping the gun from his hand. He crushed the weapon in his fist. “I’m done fucking around with you. Go to your master and tell him Adam Vlacic is waiting for him.”

  Robert tried to scoot back. “What the fuck are you?”

  Adam caught Robert’s throat and lifted him, making sure he saw what he was. “I am Hanna’s mate,” he growled, between clenched teeth. He threw the son of a bitch and watched him run away.

  Adam used the private telepathic link he’d formed with Gabe Serafin, his unofficial adopted son and second in command. I am returning with a woman. Secure my suite.

  I’ll do a walkthrough right now. Am I looking for something particular?

  No. Just make sure it’s secure. Do it alone. I don’t want anyone to know I’m bringing her.

  Got it.

  “Let’s go, babe.”

  “No.” She had her knife in her hand, backing away from him. “I am not going anywhere with you. Just leave.”

  “Everything is good now. You don’t need to keep the knife out any longer.”

  “I told you to leave.”

  “And I have already made it clear that I’m not leaving you here. I’m going to take you to the hotel. Put the knife away. I don’t plan to give you a reason to stab me.” He took a step towards her.

  “Why did you say that to him?”

  “Say what?” He took another step. “My name? I want Evolved to know who to come after.”

  “Not that. You said I’m your mate.” She kept a firm hold of the knife, pressing the tip of the blade against his belly. “I’m not. I know what it means. I’m not your mate.” Wincing, she pressed her free hand to her head and pushed the knife into his belly with her other hand. “She isn’t yours. She’s mine to keep. I own her.” Her voice had deepened to a male’s hiss. “The whore belongs to me.”

  He wrapped one arm around her back to hold her still and lifted her face with his other hand to look in her eyes. “Tell me who you are,” he commanded.

  He felt Gabe’s presence in his mind, assessing the situation. Do you need me?

  No. I have this. Just make sure the suite is prepared.

  You’re being gutted.

  By a woman.

  I’m curious. I usually don’t allow anyone to stab me. Is it less painful if a female is holding the knife?

  She’s not just any woman. She’s my woman.

  Your woman?

  My mate.

  Leave it to you to piss your mate off enough to get yourself stabbed by her within an hour of meeting her.

  Actually, it has only been thirty minutes or so.

  I’ll leave a bandage in your suite.

  The other demon growled through Hanna, fighting Adam’s compulsion. “Get away from her,” the demon hissed. “She belongs to me.”

  “Give me your name,” Adam commanded. “You know mine. You aren’t too afraid to give me yours, are you?”

  Your mate is possessed.

  It appears so.

  And clearly, despite knowing your name, he doesn’t feel he’s fucking with the wrong demon’s mate.

  Shut up.

  You know I’m jealous as fuck, right?

  Why?

  The exciting shit always happens to you. Don’t worry. Instead of a bandage, I’ll run out and fetch an Exorcist for you.

  Another growl escaped her mouth as her eyes, including the whites, turned solid black. He tried to dispose of the knife with his mind, but a spell blocked his power and protected it. He could unravel the spell and get rid of the knife, but it would take several minutes. He needed to get the son of a bitch out of her mind.

  You’re supposed to be taking care of the suite.

  I am. But what you’re dealing with is much more interesting. Who the hell is it? I can’t identify him. I can’t find a path to him in her mind.

  He felt Gabe feeding his power to him, strengthening him. Gabe was a damn powerful healer. Even from a distance, he was healing the wound as it was being created. That makes two of us. He’s doing a damn good job masking his identity.

  Do you want me to try to jump her and push him out?

  Not yet. She’s fully human. It’s too dangerous.

  I’ll stay linked to you. Let me know if you change your mind. Take what you need from me.

  He knew she was being controlled by a powerful compulsion to kill him. The instant he tried to interrupt and block it, he realized it wasn’t from an exterior source. Usually, being her mate, he could’ve merged with her and booted it out. But he couldn’t. It was a blood bond with another demon. Her body went rigid against his, and her breaths came in short gasps as her heart raced. He knew she was fighting the other demon.

  He felt her fear for him. She was aware of the knife, focusing on her hand and arm, trying to save him. Wanting to pull the blade from him and turn it on herself. It wasn’t the first time the demon used her to kill. She believed killing herself was the only way to stop the demon, to end it once and for all.

  “Listen to me, Hanna. I want
you to forget about the knife. It can’t kill me. And, while forcing my will on you is the last thing I want to do, I sure as hell won’t permit you to turn the knife on yourself.”

  The other demon was able to use his supernatural strength through her body. He felt the blade twist, sink deeper, and twist again. Rather than release her or push her away, he tightened his hold on her. He wouldn’t risk being unable to take the knife from her and the demon turning the knife on her before he could stop it.

  She shook her head slightly, her entire body trembling as she fought to regain control of it. I know you can hear me. He’s too strong for me to resist, Adam. Stop me before I kill you. Stop me before I kill anyone else. Her sob of anguish turned to a growl. He saw flashes of violence, of bloodshed in her mind. He knew they were her memories. The demon had already used her body to kill. He had used her body to murder her parents and forced her to witness their deaths.

  The best way to help her was to remain calm, to show her his power and his strength, to allow her to feel his power and strength. It was easy to prevent her from seeing any sign of pain in his expression. He smiled, making sure the smile touched his eyes. “You know I am immortal. You know the knife is nothing more than a silly distraction to me. It can’t kill me.”

  The demon’s black gaze remained locked on his, but he knew she was also able to see him. The other demon was no match for him. Why else would he use a female human as a shield rather than manifest and strike him? It was clear the damn thing was a coward hiding inside her, using her to avoid retaliation.

  “She’s mine to use, to torture, to kill.” The other demon hissed through her clenched teeth.

  “You are a truly pathetic creature. If you are a demon, you are not much of one if you expect a knife to drive me away from my mate.”

  Just then, he felt her rising to the surface, fighting to regain control of her mind and body. “That’s it,” he whispered. “We can defeat him.” He needed to work with her, to truly reach her, to encourage her to continue to fight with him. “Fight against him with me, Hanna.”

  Her eyes slowly returned to normal, beads of sweat dotting her forehead. Her breathing improved, and her heartbeat reached a slow and steady pace. “I don’t have any idea how to fight him.”

  “You’re doing it now, babe.”

  “It’s too much. I’m so tired.”

  “I know what it’s like to want to give up, to feel a total loss of hope, to have no one. But you aren’t alone. All I have, all I am, belongs to you. I will never force my will on you. I won’t force you to take anything from me.”

  “I don’t want to kill again. He’ll make me do it again and again.”

  “I have what you need to be free, babe. It’s yours. Don’t give up. Your life isn’t over. It’s just beginning. Take my power, take my strength, and use it to evict him from your mind.”

  “I can’t, Adam. I know you can easily stop me. Please, Adam, I am begging you to end this for me.”

  “I won’t help you take the easy way out. I will never hurt you. Take my power if you want to shove him out of your head.” He lowered his head, pressing his forehead against hers.

  Tears in her eyes, she trembled. “He’s going to use me to kill you.”

  He took her free hand and pressed her palm against his chest over his heart to allow her to feel its strong, steady rhythm. “He can’t harm me. I am fine. He’s acting like a child throwing a fit.” The instant he felt her begin to draw his power he started to push it into her. “That’s it. Take it all. Use it to kick him out.”

  Thankfully, since it was starting to hurt like a son of a bitch, he quickly got rid of the knife with a thought the instant she directed his power to push the other demon from her mind. His body was already healing, but it would take several minutes to close the wound. He made sure she wouldn’t see evidence of blood.

  After a few minutes, she was free. She tried to step away from him, but he kept his arms around her, holding her. Her body was trembling. “I’m going to pick you up and take you to the car.”

  “No. I can’t go with you.” She tried to pull away from him, but he didn’t allow it; in fact, he wrapped his arms around her, holding her close.

  “I’m not leaving you here.”

  When she relaxed, he scooped her up and started to walk. Within a few minutes, they arrived at his car. With a thought, he opened the passenger side door as he lowered her to her feet. She pushed away from the car. “I can’t go with you. He’ll come back.”

  “He can’t right now. He’s too weak. We kicked his ass. Are you okay?”

  “You’re asking me? You’re the one with a hole in your belly. I can’t believe you didn’t stop me. You could’ve stopped me.”

  “We stopped him.” He grabbed her arm and turned it to look at it. He saw a terrible darkening bruise where he’d held her wrist to prevent her from pulling the knife from his abdomen and turning it on herself. “I’m sorry.” He gently ran his fingers over it. “Does it hurt?”

  “No.” She shook her head. “Of course not.” She looked defeated. Broken. Crushed. She looked completely devastated. “You’re the one injured. I stabbed you, Adam.” She took a breath. “With a knife. I stabbed you.”

  “I’m perfectly fine, Hanna.” He reached up to wipe a tear from her cheek. “It’s already healed.”

  A gust of icy wind blasted them. He lifted his face and searched the sky. Seeing nothing, he expanded his mind to explore beyond the scope of his vision. A demon in the form of a dragon was moving toward them. It was a few hundred miles away, but with the speed it was traveling it would reach them in minutes.

  “He’s coming.” She took a step back, shaking her head. “He’s going to kill you.”

  “He can’t. It’s going to be okay.” Adam reached for Gabe. The son of a bitch is coming after me. He has a hell of a reach. He already has a web of spells over us. I can’t get her out of here in time.

  I know. I’m heading your way and working on unraveling his spells. Don’t fly with her. I am having a hell of a time breaking through them. Stay with her. I’ll stop him.

  No. You’re too far away. Once you get here, I want you to stay with her. I’m closer to him. I want to keep the fight as far from her as possible.

  He opened the passenger door and gave her a nudge. “Get in.” He used a command she couldn’t fight. “I need you to stay in the car.”

  “What are you planning to do?”

  “Kill him.”

  “No. You can’t. Let’s go.”

  “We don’t have time. Stay in the car,” he commanded. He shut the door. He placed a strong barrier of protection around the car. After three running steps, he took to the sky and shifted into his dragon form.

  ~ THREE ~

  It took a few seconds to reverse the spell Adam had used to prevent her from opening the door and to fight the compulsion he used to keep her in the car, but Hanna managed to do it and get out of the car. Tilting her head back, she watched Adam in his dragon form shoot straight up into the sky.

  What if people see you, Adam?

  They can’t. I am shielding myself from being seen.

  Not very well.

  I’m not preventing you from seeing me.

  Startling her, she heard a loud boom from far away. She turned to the west and studied the sky. At first, she didn’t see anything. She waited, watching the sky. A few seconds later she saw a huge ball of bluish-white flames with a long tail trailing behind it. It looked like a commet heading towards her, but she sensed life in it. The closer it got she was able to make out the image of a dragon in the flames.

  She reached for Adam. Another dragon is coming from the west. It’s moving fast.

  He’s a friend. And you were supposed to stay in the car.

  I guess my secrets out.

  What secret?

  I failed obedience class.

  I appreciate the warning.

  When the firedragon was only a few hundred feet away from her, a powerful bu
rst of hot wind rushed past her, causing her to stumble back.

  Are you sure he’s your friend?

  More like a son.

  The firedragon shifted to his human form and dropped from the sky. Flames slowly receding from him, he made his way toward her.

  “Hello, Hanna. I hope I didn’t alarm you. Adam sent me. My name is Gabe.”

  “Why did you stop?” She pointed up in the direction Adam had gone. “Why aren’t you helping Adam?”

  “He has asked me to escort you to the hotel.” His gaze never leaving hers, he pointed at the car. “Get in the car, and we’ll go.”

  “No.” She shook her head adamantly. “If you’re Adam’s friend, don’t leave him alone with the other demon.”

  His jaw clenched, his eyes slightly narrowed, he stared at her for a few seconds as if he was waiting for something. “Are you serious?”

  “Yes. Go help him.”

  He shrugged his wide shoulders in what she considered an attempt to deceive her by appearing unconcerned. “Adam doesn’t need help,”

  “I’m not going anywhere with you, Gabe. You might as well get your ass back up in the sky and go help Adam.”

  “For now, unless you wish to fly to the hotel, my ass is staying right here on the ground. Don’t worry about him. He will be fine.”

  “You don’t understand. He’s injured. I stabbed him”

  “I know,” he laughed.

  “It’s not funny. I seriously stuck a knife in him. How could you think that’s funny?”

  “I apologize for laughing. You’re right. It wasn’t funny.” Leaning his hip against the passenger door, he folded his arms across his chest. “It was also nothing. Just a superficial wound.”

  “You weren’t here. How do you know it was nothing?” Frowning, she shook her head. “He doesn’t realize how dangerous the other demon is. He’s going to get himself killed.”

  “Adam can take care of himself. He’s fine. Get in the car.”

  She felt a push in his voice and knew he was attempting to force her compliance by using a compulsion. Irritated, she shoved the power back at him.