by Mina Carter
His eyebrows went up. "Not me." He looked at his team. "You guys?"
Zach shook his head.
Thano shrugged. "No, but you had some erotic dreams about the big guy there. You gotta learn to shut me out, Catherine, because there are things about Ry that I just don't want to know."
Heat suffused Catherine's cheeks as she recalled some of her dreams. "You saw those?"
"Shit, yeah." Thano gave a visible shudder. "I'm too young to be exposed to that kind of stuff."
She looked at Ryland. "Did you—"
He gave her a hooded, heated look that made a searing heat plunge deep into her belly. "We were fully merged, Cat. There were no secrets during that healing sleep."
"Ohhh..." Complete mortification did not even begin to describe the depths of her embarrassment. She hadn't even thought about sex since the day Simon had betrayed her, but the kiss with Ryland had awoken the part of her that had been long dormant, and it had returned with a vengeance. And they'd all seen it? She could not think of a single response to make it go away. Not one brilliant idea came to her blank mind. "Um…"
"It's okay," Ryland said, looking unmistakably smug. "Thano wasn't in those dreams, just me, so it's all good." He stood up and held out his hand to her. "Let's go. We want to be out of the nether-realm before sundown."
"We do?" Catherine put her hand in his and let him help her to her feet. The sun was so bright it was almost blinding, so strong she didn't even have to try to harvest it. It just filled her with its light all on its own. Was that why she'd been able to sleep without killing them? Because the sun had been streaming over her? She knew that she'd been able to give Ryland the white light of protection earlier because the sun had risen and she'd channeled its energy into him. Had her sleep been innocent for the same reason? Or had it been something else? Had Ryland somehow been able to contain it when she'd been merged with him?
She watched him as he conversed with his teammates, briefing them on the creatures they were going to find. Alice had been helpful for containing Catherine's dark side, but even Alice hadn't been able to help her once Lucy had been kidnapped. She'd lost it, which was why it had been so easy for the wizard to manipulate her. Was Ryland like Alice, only a thousand times more? And if he was, what did that mean?
He looked over at her. "Did you hear that? Are you paying attention?"
"No."
He gave her such an exasperated look that she almost laughed. "Get over here, woman." He grabbed her wrist and tugged her over to them, his gesture almost playful.
As he slung his arm over her shoulders and yanked her against him, Thano raised his brows at them. "You don't look cranky, Ry. You must be poisoned or something. You feel okay?"
"The angel had erotic dreams about me," Ryland said. "What's to be cranky about?" Then he grinned at her and kissed her hard, taking away her embarrassment before it could rise again. It wasn't just a kiss. It was a statement of ownership, claiming her in front of the others, accepting her dreams as her own claim on him.
She didn't want to claim him. And she didn't want him to own her. But what choice did she have? They were going into the nether-realm, and their guide was a volatile warrior on the edge of turning into a murderous beast. The situation was too precarious, their need for Ryland too great.
If letting Ryland go all he-man on her increased the likelihood that she could save Lucy by making him sane, she had to do it. But she had to remember what happened before with Simon. She had to remember who Ryland truly was—a creature from the same place as Simon.
She couldn't make the same mistake she'd made before, and trust the man who had the most power to destroy her.
She could never forget that. Ever. No matter how tantalizing his kisses were.
Chapter Ten
THEY TRAVELED IN absolute silence once they crossed the border into the outlands of the nether-realm.
Even Apollo's massive hooves made no sound as he cantered across the forest floor.
Ryland was in the lead, moving in a steady lope across the lush terrain. Per his orders, Catherine kept pace on his heels, so close that she could feel the heat from his body as they ran. She carefully placed her feet precisely where he'd stepped, following his instructions exactly, not daring to deviate in this hostile land that only he knew how to traverse.
Right behind her was Zach, mirroring her footsteps with the same precision that she was tracking Ryland's.
In the rear were Apollo and Thano, who traveled so lightly she wasn't sure they were actually touching the ground.
Ryland had guided them around the sinkhole, and then broke into a hard run along the river, telling them to stay in the sunshine for as long as possible, which was fine with her.
But now, almost an hour after they'd crossed the border, the sunlight was beginning to fade, obscured by a layer of a sickly green mist that became more oppressive the farther they progressed. The air became thick and heavy, swirling around her like the steam from a hot spring, coating her skin. The ground was spongy and damp, her feet sinking too far down for comfort with each step. The trees were coated with heavy black moss that seemed to bleed vengeance and anger. Glowing orange eyes tracked them as they walked, visible in the depths of the woods beside them.
Ryland hadn't paused to acknowledge any of them. He just kept moving swiftly and with deadly certainty. He knew exactly where he was going, and he knew where all the traps were.
She hoped.
He raised his hand and flicked his wrist in a circle to draw their attention. Up ahead was a chasm of black, swirling smoke. The edges of it descended into rocky cliffs that vanished into a bottomless crevasse. Discs of black mist appeared to float across the space, diving and spinning as if they were alive and playing some kind of dodgeball game. Ryland paused at the edge of the chasm, studying the discs. His concentration was so intense that the air was actually vibrating with it. After a moment, he picked up a log that was near him. He hurled it into the air, into the midst of the spinning, misty discs. The air ignited with a violent humming and then thousands of discs converged upon the wood. Within a millisecond, the log had been reduced to sawdust, sliced to pieces by the discs.
Catherine swallowed as the discs dispersed again, resuming their random circling... No, she realized. They weren't flying randomly. They were hunting for prey with precise, strategic stalking. Dear God. What were they?
After a moment, Ryland turned and looked back at her.
Cat?
She was startled by the sound of Thano's voice in her mind. Not Ryland's. Thano's voice, but it was Ryland who was looking at her, as if he had spoken. What? She spoke tentatively, unsure how to respond. Could she really speak in her mind and have Thano hear it?
Ry wants to know whether you can shield us from those discs. Can you make us invisible to them? Apparently, we need to get across there.
She looked at Ryland, whose face was shuttered and tense, no doubt because he'd had to feed the question to Thano to ask her. She assumed that it was too risky to speak aloud, and the only way to connect with her was through Thano. It was uncomfortable to feel Thano so intimately connected to her, but she knew she had no choice. They were in a hostile land now, and precautions had to be taken. Telling herself to chill out, she looked past Ryland at the flying discs, trying to get a sense of what they were. Could she really hide them from those things? One mistake and they would all be dinner.
Ryland walked over to her and grabbed her hands. Cat.
Again, Thano's voice in her mind, while Ryland was staring at her. Weird. Really weird. What?
Ry said to tell you that you can do it. Think of your daughter. You can't fail her.
Resolution surged through her, and Ryland smiled. He touched her face and gave a brief nod.
Good job, Thano said. He wants you to know that you're hot as hell when you go warrior on him, but I just want to go on the record that giving sex messages between the two of you is off limits. You guys need to develop sign language for that or som
ething.
Her heart jumped, but Ryland's gaze snapped to Thano, giving him a look designed to kill.
Thano's laughter echoed in her mind. Okay, he didn't say he thinks you're hot as hell. But it's obviously true.
Ryland made a slicing motion across the front of his throat, and Thano's laughter faded. So, let's do this, Thano said, his voice clipped and precise, a warrior ready for battle.
Ryland took her hand and moved her up beside him to the edge of the cliff. A quick gesture from him told her that he wanted to carry her across the crevasse. She didn't bother to protest, not when he was so much more athletic than she was. If he wanted to leap across a bottomless pit guarded by flesh-eating Frisbees, she was more than happy to rely on his physical capabilities instead of hers. So she let him pick her up. Trying to still her pounding heart at the intimacy of their position, she wrapped her arms and legs around him as their bodies melded together, chest-to-chest. He locked his left arm around her waist and kept his right arm free for fighting, his machete gripped tightly in his fist.
Catherine looked over his shoulder at Thano, Zach, and Apollo. All three of them were watching her, waiting for her to shield them. For a split second, trepidation filled her. What if she failed and these good men died? What if the creatures took her as well? There would be no one left to save her daughter. Tension rippled through her, and Ryland's arm tightened around her waist. He turned his head so his mouth was against her ear. "You can do it," he whispered, his voice nothing more than a breath, hidden from all except her. "I believe in you."
She closed her eyes, realizing he meant it. His commitment to Dante's Order was insurmountable. He would never choose a path that would result in his death. Ever. He would only choose one he was sure would work. So…yeah. She had to go with it, then. He was the one who knew what the creatures were, and he knew how her cloaking worked. If he thought it would suffice, she would have to have faith in him.
She let out her breath, tightened her hold on him, and then called to the darkness that surrounded them.
Death rose swiftly to meet her, sweeping through her cells like the old friend it was. It mingled with her body, her spirit and her scent until she was simply a miasma of all the creatures and people who had died in this pit. There were so many, a virtual flood, that it was easy for her to harness all the energy and cloak each member of their team.
As she watched, each of them, including the horse, became swathed in death. They appeared to vanish, swallowed up by the energy she'd summoned. Even she couldn't see them.
Damn. Thano's voice was filled with admiration. That's impressive. Why didn't you give me this skill instead of some lame ass violet fire?
I didn't give you the fire, Thano. Violet isn't my color. You got that somewhere else. His legs, yes, that was her. The violet flame? Not her.
She felt his surprise, but before he could pursue further questions, she felt Ryland tense his body. Oh, God, he was really going to jump across that thing? He moved backward swiftly to get a running start, and she could only guess that the others were doing the same. Due to her cloaking of them, she couldn't hear or see them, and the only way she knew Ryland was there was because she could feel him against her.
Maybe he'd wanted to carry her so they wouldn't lose each other.
Right now, she felt okay with that. This was not her territory. It was Ryland's. As much as she was all about the independent woman thing, in this moment, she was supremely grateful to have Ryland on her side.
His voice again whispered in her ear. "Hang on, angel. And don't forget to keep us hidden."
Nodding her agreement, she tightened her grip around him, and then he launched himself forward. Every muscle in his body strained as he raced toward the edge of the cliff. Faster and faster. Gaining speed. His arms pumping now as he ran, his body absolutely silent in its approach. She squeezed her eyes shut, focusing all her energy onto the shield she'd called to protect them, swirling it around them all like a living, moving fabric that wove in and out of their existence.
Ryland hit the edge of the cliff and launched them into the air. The wind whipped past them, and she heard a faint, high-pitched wailing as they entered the airspace. A creature slammed into her back, and she almost screamed, then Ryland knocked it away with his machete. The wailing suddenly amped up in intensity, the wind rushing around them as the creatures swarmed, trying to find them. Another hit her back, and then her shoulder, teeth tearing through her flesh.
Around her, she heard the thuds and slashes as Thano and Zach cleared their own path through the creatures. The wailing was frenzied and angry now as the creatures tried to track them, to find the enemies that dared intrude in their space.
"Come on," Ryland shouted. "Keep the shields up!"
Catherine focused harder, but each time something hit her, her concentration wavered. Something latched onto her cheek and she yelped, her eyes jerking open. Then she almost screamed when she saw what was around them. The air was almost impenetrable with discs shooting everywhere, closing down on them, swirling madly as they fought to find them. Dear God, they would eat them alive in a second!
"Focus, Cat! Focus!"
She saw Thano flicker into sight, and the wailing erupted into a crescendo of triumph as they all raced toward him. "Oh, God!" She immediately called more of the spirits to him. At her summons, dozens of shadows of death zoomed out of the depths of the crevasse and wrapped themselves around Thano. He disappeared a split second before the masses descended upon him. There was a roar of frustrated outrage from their pursuers, and a screech of victory as some of them found him anyway.
Apollo squealed in outrage, and she knew she hadn't done enough—
Then they hit the ground on the other side of the crevasse, landing with a faint thud that even Ryland couldn't mask. There were two more impacts as Apollo and Zach landed, and the air filled with the irate screams of the creatures who had been thwarted. They'd done it! Elation leapt through her, and she couldn't keep the grin off her face.
"Keep us shielded," Ryland shouted. "Check in!"
"Good!" Thano reported.
"Here," came Zach's tight reply.
"Then let's go. Straight south. Uncloak my weapon, but that's it," he ordered her as he broke into a run.
Fighting hard to keep her concentration, Catherine did as instructed. Immediately Ryland's machete appeared, and she sensed Thano and Zach lock onto it as their guide, following the steel blade through the woods. Together they all ran, hurling their bodies through what was now thick jungle. Ryland sliced at the underbrush as they sped along, clearing the way for them.
Around them, the forest seemed to erupt in a cacophony of noise, creatures who had been awoken by the screams of the sentries. Wings flapped. Low growls filled the night. The screeches of creatures that she didn't want to meet. Shadows undulated, looming over their pathway like a canopy of doom. Even the earth quivered beneath their feet, dark and threatening. But nothing struck them, nothing found them. Their disguise was still holding.
Onward they ran, not taking the time to fight. Instead, they took advantage of how fast they were moving and the freedom that Catherine had given them to navigate unseen.
Catherine gripped Ryland tightly, struggling to hold onto their camouflage, but the spirits she'd called were waning as they got farther away from the chasm. "I can't hold it much longer," she said.
"Almost there," Ryland said. "Stay with it."
She fought for mental clarity, calling to the part of her that flowed with such relentless force, asking it for help, but her grip on the spirits continued to fade. Ryland's shoulder came into view, and Catherine closed her eyes, concentrating even more fiercely, searching the ground around them for more deaths to utilize. She found one, maybe two, but that was it. Most things that had tried to invade the nether-realm had died in that chasm and never made it this far.
"Through here!" Ryland yelled as he cut hard to the right. Something hard banged into Catherine's shoulder, and she looke
d up to see they were racing through a narrow crack in a rock cliff. Barely two feet wide, Ryland had turned them at an angle to fit through. The rock stretched for a hundred yards above their head, blocking the sunlight.
Then they burst past the end, skidded down a grassy slope and then came to a stop in a clearing.
Beside them appeared Zach, now fully visible. Lacerations slashed across his face, and his clothes were shredded. Apollo suddenly came into view beside him, with Thano still astride. Astoundingly, the horse was untouched, his sleek black coat glistening even in the murky atmosphere, but, like Zach, Thano was also bleeding from assorted wounds.
She looked at Ryland, and saw minor cuts on his face and neck. But he wasn't looking at her. He was looking past her, his gaze intense.
Catherine whipped around in his arms.
They were at the base of a large, stone pyramid that looked like it had been built thousands of years ago. Moss cascaded down its mottled sides. Pyres of orange flames roared at six precise locations in the rock. The top of the pyramid stretched more than a hundred feet above them, and the base was equally as wide.
At the bottom of the pyramid were two ancient, crumbling pillars framing a doorway that opened into a pitch-black nothingness. Her breath caught in awe at the scene that was so similar to the one sketched on her map. "That's it, isn't it? The entrance to the nether-realm?"
"Yeah." But he didn't move, and she could feel his body trembling. His chest was searing hot against hers, and she suddenly felt something move beneath his skin, where the creature was painted on his chest.
"Is it coming to life?" she whispered.
"Of course it is."
She started to reach for his shirt to check it, but he stayed her hand with two words. "Not yet." His voice was so tense that it sent chills rushing through her.
And then she heard it. The sound of a rock tumbling down the front of the pyramid. She turned to watch as a two-foot wide pure-black stone bounced over the rocky surface, moving slowly, too slowly, as if gravity had no pull on it. The solitary stone bounced past the frame of the doorway and rolled to a stop in the middle of the opening. Purple and black smoke began to leak from it, thicker and thicker as it filled the air.
