Breaking the Nexus (Mythrian Realm)

by Avalon, Lindsay

  Rather than feeling drained after the assault on Evil Bastard, she’d decided that was a better name for him than ‘Nightmare,’ Sha felt energized. She didn’t fool herself into thinking it was anything more than a temporary victory; he’d be back, of that she was sure. But she’d surprised him, hurt him, and after having her ass handed to her earlier, she relished her revenge.

  The kiss had been impulsive, but toe curling in its heat. She shivered even now with the memory of it. Had it not been for Ian waiting downstairs, she’d have been tempted to pull Connor down onto the bed to continue their…celebration. Ah, well, time enough for that later. She may have been energized, but she was also ravenous. Over a bowl of some sort of sweet, crunchy bits that Connor had called ‘cereal,’ Sha listened as they brought her up to date on what they’d learned about Corvelli.

  “Evil Bastard gave me the impression he was using Corvelli as a pawn. He considered him dispensable and was more annoyed I’d slipped past his defenses than anything.”

  “‘Evil Bastard’?” Ian asked, amused.

  Sha shrugged. “He wanted me to call him Nightmare. I think Evil Bastard fits better. I do think it’s worthwhile to go to Corvelli’s address because it could give me another thread to use to track him down. He kept saying I couldn’t stop what was coming and that he wanted us to die in agony.”

  “So the usual, over-dramatic bullshit,” Ian said.

  “Am I the only one not blasé about the blatant threat to her life?” Connor looked incredulous.

  Sha rose and walked over to him, letting every bit of her determination show. “Oh I’m taking it seriously, but he thinks I’m going to scurry off and hide like a coward, and that is something I refuse to do. I’m the first to admit I can be impulsive and probably should keep my mouth shut more often, but I’m not stupid. We’re going to find out whatever he has planned and stop him.”

  He wrapped his arms around her in a fierce embrace for a moment. “That simple, huh?”

  “Doubtful, but one can always hope.”

  “Did your dream give us any indication of what we can expect?” Connor asked.

  Before she could answer, Ian’s pocket chimed and he took out his phone to read the screen. “Great. All sorts of bad shit is going down again. You’ll probably get the message in a second.”

  On cue, Connor’s phone buzzed on the table. Apparently his was an actual call and not a message because he picked up the phone and went outside.

  “So, uh, crazy how he knew to go upstairs,” Ian said awkwardly.

  “I called him and I guess he was able to hear me.”

  “His face lost all color and he raced up to the bedroom, so I’d say it’s a safe bet he did.”

  She didn’t know how to respond to that, but was saved from answering when Connor walked back inside.

  “Captain gave us the all-clear to check in on the lead and didn’t ask too many questions. I could tell he wanted to, but he said he’d followup with us later. Ian, he said there was a disturbance at the site of last night’s murder and he wants you to make sure nothing was compromised.”

  Ian nodded, already packing up the bag he’d brought with him. “The text said as much. I’ll let you know what I find.”

  “Is there any way I could visit the scene?” Sha asked. “Maybe being there would help me locate Evil Bastard faster.”

  “I don’t like it since it could be a trap, but I’ll see what we can do,” Connor said.

  A little burst of happiness accompanied his words. He was beginning to trust her skills rather than seeing her only as a witness needing to be protected. “Thank you.”

  After saying goodbye to his partner, Connor returned with a predatory gleam in his eyes. “I know you want to go to Corvelli’s right away, but I’d feel more comfortable waiting a little bit longer, at least until it’s lighter outside. Takes away some of the advantage of the creatures hiding in the shadows, you know?”

  Sha glanced outside, noted the pale, watery sky and calculated it would take perhaps half an hour for the morning sun to finish rising. If they left now, it would be light enough by the time they reached the address. But that wasn’t what he wanted. Tricky man. She approved. Her blood began to warm, heat gathering between her legs in anticipation. It had been a close call and she thought they both needed the reassurance. Plus, she wanted to block out the memory of what Evil Bastard had done to Fire Falls in the nightmare.

  She pretended to deliberate over his words. “Hmm, you may be right. Better to be safe than sorry. Since we have so much time on our hands, what should we do to occupy ourselves?”

  “I’m sure we can think of something.”

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  He seized her shoulders and pulled her against him, the action taking her off balance and making her head spin. Or maybe it was his mouth moving over hers, his tongue dancing over hers, his teeth nipping her lip.

  “Why can’t I resist you, temptress?” Connor broke the kiss and met her eyes, heart pounding beneath her hands.

  “I don’t know. Same reason I can’t stay away from you. It’s getting stronger.” A nagging suspicion crept over her. Could they have bonded? It occasionally happened in Mythria, two people forging a connection so deep, they were linked at all times. It was based in magic though and both individuals had to have some power, even if it was latent. Connor was human…wasn’t he? Those eyes of his…

  His mouth brushed over her cheek, travelled down her neck, to her collarbone. She tilted her head to give him better access as shivers ran through her. Figure out the connection later, and focus on this now. Best idea she’d had all day.

  “You’re so beautiful,” he whispered as he began to undo the buttons on her shirt. “I think this will belong to you now, it looks much sexier on you than it ever would on me.”

  “I don’t know, Detective, it looked pretty damn good on you.” Hands closed over her breasts and she moaned, back arching into his touch. Gods she needed his hands on her.

  “We rushed things before, but this time, this time I want to take my time, savor you.”

  “No—no arguments here,” she managed to gasp out as his mouth followed the trail of his hands and closed over her breast, tongue lashing over the throbbing tip.

  Frantic now, she yanked his shirt up, desperate to have his skin under her fingers. Her ivory complexion stood in stark contrast to his darker tone and she loved his sharp intake of breath when she scraped her nails lightly over his nipples.

  “Off. Now.” For emphasis, she tugged on his shirt

  “Impatient aren’t we?” Connor said, gifting her peak with a gentle bite that wrenched a sharp cry of need from her.

  She writhed against his mouth, seeking more. “Yes, damn you.”

  Chuckling, he took a step back and pulled his shirt over his head. He turned to toss it over a chair and something caught her eye, something she hadn’t noticed last night.

  “What’s that on your shoulder?” Sha asked, running her fingers over the black ink on his skin.

  “Remnants of a misspent youth. My mother hated tattoos so when I was eighteen I had to get one just to annoy her. Hurt like hell getting it and got my car taken away for three months as punishment.”

  “How’d you pick the design?”

  He shrugged. “It just felt write when I saw it. Can’t really explain exactly, I just knew it was the one I wanted inked.”

  “You don’t realize what it is, do you?”

  He turned, puzzlement clear on his face. “I assumed it was a bird…”

  “Connor, it’s not just a bird. It’s a phoenix.”

  “You’re kidding me.”

  “It’s pretty close to depictions I’ve seen back in Mythria.”

  A slow, satisfied smile formed on his lips, reigniting the pulsing in her core. “It can only mean one thing,” he said, hands settling on her hips and his mouth inches from hers.

  “And that’d be…”

  “You’re destined to be mine.” Before she could
respond, his mouth took hers again and he propelled her backward to the couch, sitting down with her straddling his lap.

  “That goes both ways, Detective.” Did that husky voice really belong to her?

  “Wouldn’t have it any other way.” He nudged her to stand so he could pull off her sweat pants, fingers gliding down her body, slicking over her clit. “So wet, temptress. Hot enough to burn.”

  Her eyes closed and she drifted on the sensations. When his fingers slid inside and began to lazily pump she thought she might lose her mind.

  “Let’s see how you taste,” he murmured. He couldn’t mean…

  Rational thought became impossible as his mouth settled over her core, fingers still thrusting inside her, curling upward to stroke the bundle of nerves inside. His tongue laved her clit, flicking it then suckling gently. There was no time to process the incredible, exquisite pleasure. She exploded, would have fallen had his arm not wrapped around her torso, anchoring her to his mouth.

  He added a third finger, scissoring them so the pressure intensified, and she found herself riding the wave to another orgasm. When she was on the brink, teetering on the precipice he stopped, lifted his head away.

  She cried out at the loss, body burning for his. “Damn you, Connor.”

  Rising, he stripped off his jeans then pulled her down with him onto the couch, head of his cock at her entrance. “I want to feel you come around me,” he said as he thrust deep inside. Time stopped as the climax tore through her and she bucked against him, unable to stop the scream that burst from her lungs. It seemed to go on forever, and when it finally began to lessen she realized he was holding himself still inside her, his erection hard as a rock.

  “Shit, I didn’t put on protection,” he gritted the words out between clenched teeth. “Let me—”

  “Hush, it’s alright. One of the advantages of my Aquarum side is the ability to regulate fertility. Don’t you dare stop.”

  “Ready for more?” Connor asked, hips beginning to piston inside her. Helpless to do anything but nod, the friction of his cock sliding through her channel was amazing. She gasped as he shifted, angling her so every thrust ground him against her clit.

  Over and over he pounded into her, driving her insane. She clenched her muscles and he groaned, fingers tightening on her hips with near bruising force. Gods, almost there, almost there.

  “Come,” he ordered, thumb pressing her hard nub and she erupted, her channel milking him. With a curse he flipped her onto her back on the couch, deepening his thrusts and impossibly she felt herself rising once more. She clutched at him, desperate for an anchor in the storm of pleasure so intense it bordered on pain. Moments later, she felt the first jets of hot semen, scorching her and setting off one last orgasm.

  Her body shook, head thrashing as she screamed his name.

  Minutes passed with only the sound of their labored breathing to break the silence. Her throat felt raw from the force of her cries, but she couldn’t bring herself to care about anything except the feel of being in his arms, the taste of his skin as she pressed a kiss to his shoulder.

  “I wish I had the power to freeze time right at this moment,” she whispered, her voice raspy.

  “Me too.” Gently he caressed her face and she leaned into his touch, savoring it for a few more minutes.

  Finally it was time. As much as she loathed breaking the mood, it was necessary. “Guess we’d better see if we can save the world, huh?”

  Rising, shoulders shaking in laughter, he pulled her into his embrace. “That’s what I love about you, your ability to cut right to the chase.”

  Her heart stuttered at his words. “Did you just imply what I think you did?”

  “To be honest I don’t know how I feel, but I know I want to find out, and I know you belong to me. We’ll figure out the rest in between fighting mythical creatures and sinister, disembodied voices.” He pressed one final kiss to her lips before stepping away to pull on his clothes.

  “Connor?” She waited until he met her eyes again. “Same goes for me.” Ducking her head so her hair hid the blush burning her cheeks, she began to dress.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  The room resembled the aftermath of a tornado. Sha demolished the self-control he’d prided himself on, so it made sense that it’d extend to his living space. Evidence bags were strewn about from when she’d rummaged through them last night, clothes and couch cushions were everywhere, and a lamp had fallen to the floor, he noted in amusement. Good thing he wasn’t a neat freak by nature. Seeing her things scattered around the house satisfied something inside of him he hadn’t known he’d lacked. Since she’d decided to grab a shower, he set about picking up the evidence. The last thing they needed was to lose a crucial item in the lead detective’s house.

  As she walked into the living room, he noticed she’d changed into the spare set of clothes the female officer had bought her. They were functional enough, jeans that were a little too baggy and a long-sleeved navy shirt, also a little big, but they didn’t suit her. Maybe if things calmed down he’d introduce her to the wonders of the credit card and online shopping, that way he didn’t have to get dragged through endless stores. Then again, Sha didn’t strike him as the sort of person who’d want to spend hours looking at clothes. More likely, she’d prefer to spend hours looking at weapons.

  Connor picked up the last few bags, pausing when he lifted the one containing the waxy substance he’d found. Judging by the initials, the lab had processed the sample. Quick work. Unusually quick actually. He thumbed through the case file, looking for the analysis. Most of it was geek-speak, but he deciphered it enough to get the gist:

  Beeswax base. Traces of blood belonging to unknown species. Stone bits of unknown origin. Contains a number of unidentifiable substances. Further testing required.

  Okay, not exactly helpful to locate the source of the wax, but it might prove more useful if they found a sample to compare it against.

  “Hey, Sha? Can you take a look at this real quick?”

  “Yeah, hold on one second.” He watched, fascinated by the rapid, sure movements of her hands as she braided her hair. How women did stuff like that, he’d never know. Living with three sisters, he’d learned early on that it was best not to ask questions about some things. When she held out her hand for the bag, he handed it to her, reaching behind her neck to tug on the plait, grinning when she gave him a withering glare.

  “You’re lucky I like your hands where they are, otherwise you’d have lost them. Why do people always assume they can pull on my hair?” She pouted, ruining the effect when her lips twitched as she tried to hold back her laughter.

  “I can think of a few good uses to having a pony tail,” he said, demonstrating by tugging on it again, tilting her head back for a kiss.

  “I might be alright with that,” she said, her lips now glistening and a little swollen. The two times they’d made love hadn’t done a thing to lessen his desire for her. Hell if anything, it had grown. “Behave if you want me to examine this.”

  Should he fill her in on the report, or wait until she gave him her impressions first? Probably better to wait so her findings weren’t influenced. Long minutes passed while she studied the wax, removing it and carefully running her fingers along the surface. Finally she put the sample back into the bag and cocked her head to the side, her braid falling over her shoulder and tempting him to play with it again.

  “I’m assuming your people couldn’t identify most of the components in that wax? Thought so. You may have suspected this, but it’s without a doubt Mythrian. Handmade I’d guess judging by the ingredients I sensed.”

  Even after everything, that surprised him. “You can sense specific ingredients? How the hell do you do that?” He’d love to be able to skip the hoops he had to jump through with the lab techs. Unless he resorted to bribery or the occasional threat, it was a battle to get evidence analyzed quickly.

  “Some rituals and such require tangible artifacts. Sorceri tend
not to need them, we’re born with our power and while it may increase in strength as we get older, we work with what nature gifts us. Mages are different. Their power is acquired and they almost always need the extra boost, in particular if they’re doing intense spell-crafting. Different materials help in different ways, but they all exude a certain…resonance for lack of a better word. Almost like trained musicians could tell you the exact notes played in a piece.”

  “Ah, I suppose that makes sense. I think.” Magic and spells still boggled his mind, but he’d bet his next paycheck if he put her in front of his computer, she’d have the same reaction to technology as Connor had to her world. “What can you tell me about it?”

  “Well, I can’t tell you specifics about the blood, not without spending a lot of time and energy on the process, but some mages use Mythrian creatures to help invoke their powers. It’s also possible the blood came from a previous sacrifice, be it a person or an animal. That type of spell-crafting is exclusive to blood mages, and that’s something I try to avoid at all costs.”

  “That isn’t the first time you’ve mentioned that before. What’s so bad about it, besides the obvious?”

  “Anytime you kill a living creature, part of its life-force goes into your spell. Not only do you condemn the poor being’s soul to a purgatory existence, after all it’s no longer a complete soul so it can’t move on, it introduces a risk of madness. There’s a much greater chance for unpredictable consequences. It’s powerful, hence why there’s always those willing to take that risk, but it’s incredibly dangerous.”

  “That explains a few things.” Considering the brutality of the dismemberments, insanity was a good descriptor. “What else did you find?”

  “There were some dragon scales, however, that’s not surprising; they hold immense power so it’s common to use their scales. I also sensed some remnants of gryphon’s claws and a tiny amount of banshee dust, what’s left after you defeat one. You only have a couple of seconds to collect it before it dissolves entirely, so it’s pretty rare. The shards of stone confuse me. I can’t think of any reason to include it in a ritualistic candle, unless it was from a burial site. If you use the blood of an individual, incorporating something from their grave can amplify whatever traits you were hoping to invoke, but my understand is few bother to use it.”